Pretty Little Liars
by xLou26
Summary: Behind every successful man is a great woman. But for three men running an underground society in the heart of Chicago, what's hiding behind them are three women with a deadly secret. AU Sheamus/OC Wade Barrett/OC Crimson/OC
1. Back And Forth

**_Back And Forth_**

Tommy padded his way into the bedroom, his heavy footfalls quieted by the plush carpet. The faintest of smiles crept its way onto his lips at the sight before him, his eyes lingering as if committing it to memory. From one shapely leg peeking from under the sheets, to the exposed skin of the small of her back, to her slender and inviting neck, right to the peaceful expression on her face as she remained in slumber, it was as if she had no care for the rest of the world. He loved watching her as she slept, but one glance at the clock and he knew he had to wake her up.

He sat down right by her, the mattress sinking under his weight, sighing as he revelled in the comfort it provided. He leaned over her form, one hand ghosting up her leg before settling at the small of her back, disappearing under her tank top, massaging circles into the bare skin. "Lex," he said softly. "It's time to wake up."

He had to fight a snicker as she groaned, burrowing her head further into the pillow. Pressing a kiss to her shoulder, he tried again, accentuating each word with kisses that trailed toward her lips. Alex's groan of displeasure quickly dissolved into a contented sigh, her eyes finally opening as his lips parted from hers.

"Good morning," Tommy greeted softly as he allowed himself to completely lie back down on the bed.

He opened his arms, waiting for her to move into his embrace. Alex was all too happy to oblige, knowing how times like these, times when it was just the two of them and having some peace and quiet, were few and far between. She pressed her cheek against his chest, throwing an arm over his stomach, wrinkling her nose when she felt the dampness, realizing that he had likely just finished working out from their home gym.

"What time did you get home?" she asked.

"Late," he replied simply. "Or early, depending on how you want to look at it."

She raised her head just enough to take a quick look at the bedside clock, rolling her eyes before dropping her head back onto his chest. "And yet you still managed to get up before 7AM to work out. Are we sure you're human?"

Tommy chuckled, knowing how much she hated mornings more than anything. "It's debatable," he said, turning to his side, drawing himself even closer to her. "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about," he said in a low tone, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. Her mouth fell slack before she swatted at his chest as his laughter echoed throughout the room. He took hold of her wrist and gently pulled, her supple breasts crashing against the hard planes of his chest, one strong arm holding her in place. "Now, now, none of that," he said teasingly, tapping a finger against her nose. "If you get rough, then I get rough. But you have to get ready for work, so get your ass into that bathroom and grab a shower."

Alex whimpered as she was pulled into a sitting position, wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of the day with him in bed, asleep or otherwise. "Five more minutes."

"Come on, get up," he urged. "If you hurry, I'll take you out for breakfast at that café you love."

He smirked as she jumped out of bed, throwing her arms around his neck excitedly at his offer. He pressed his lips firmly against hers before playfully pushing her towards the en suite bathroom. He had just about enough will to stop himself from following right along, but shook his head of the thoughts, instead sinking back down onto the bed as he waited for her to finish her shower before he went to grab one himself.

* * *

><p>Tommy eyed her from the rim of his coffee cup to look at Alex, noticing how her cheeks were flushed pink from the cold morning winds of the Chicago autumn, smiling softly at the image she made as she finished off her plate of waffles. He could see the sheer happiness shining from her eyes, likely from the high of being out in public with him instead of a privately rented restaurant, or worse yet, spending time alone while he was busy doing business.<p>

He wasn't stupid. He knew she had at least an inkling of an idea of what she had gotten herself into when she had agreed to marry him. Perhaps even more than an inkling, thinking back to how she barely batted an eyelash when he told her no one outside of family and a few close friends could know. Sighing heavily, he put his cup down before running a palm down the side of his face.

Alex turned her head to look at him curiously, wondering what caused such a sound to come from him. But before she could ask, the vibration of Tommy's phone against the table had interrupted. She watched at how his calm façade had turned into that of frustration, eyebrows knitted together as he quickly typed in a reply.

"Alex I –" he started.

"Go," she said with a wistful smile. "I can take a cab to the office."

He tried to muster up a convincing smile, knowing that it wasn't any use to try and take away the disappointment now etched on her face. "We'll do this again," he said as he pulled out some cash from his wallet to leave on the table. "I promise you that."

She nodded her head as he got up from the table, leaning down to press a kiss against her cheek as he moved past her. She watched longingly as he got into the black Ford Expedition and drove away, trying to fight back tears. "When?" she whispered to herself.

* * *

><p>Staring at the human silhouette pitted with tiny holes, Anna let out a satisfied sigh and set her gun down. Pulling the trigger has always been a fun way to let off some steam. Pursing her lips for a moment, she eventually took a step back, making her way towards the reception area. The shooting range looked like time had stopped; nothing had changed in the last 40 years, and that was exactly how Anna's father wanted it to stay.<p>

"You've got a visitor." Jimmy, Anna's godfather, was where he always was, nodding towards the office. Jimmy always sat behind the register with a newspaper in hand; and if he wasn't reading he was talking with the regulars.

Anna smiled softly to herself as she saw her husband leant in the entryway to the back office. Stepping behind the counter she followed Stephen into the office and shut the door behind her.

"I though ah'd find yeh here." Anna stepped into Stephens arms as he revealed his softer side for a brief moment. Her held her tight against his body and kissed the top of her head. As usual, he had slipped out that morning before she had woken up. Rolling over to a cold empty space in the bed was normal; Anna had come to think that he did it so that he didn't have to explain where he was going or what he was doing. Not that she would ask anyway. She had learnt very early on that if it concerned her, she would be told. That didn't stop her from wondering every now and then, but it had since become easier to block the tiny nagging voice in her head.

"Where else would I be?"

"Shopping." Stephen smirked, knowing he had a valid point. Anna considered shopping a job and a hobby - one that Stephen paid for. But he didn't complain when she brought him back new clothes, and he certainly wouldn't complain when she spent a few thousand dollars in Agent Provocateur.

"I didn't expect to see you, not this early anyway." She took a spare second to take in his appearance. He looked exactly like he always did when he had to go and meet 'important people'. Smart black trousers, simple grey dress shirt and black waistcoat. There was only one thing that was different, the cuts and bruises on his hands.

"What happened?" Anna glanced up, met by Stephens harsh stare. She knew that look; it was the one that said it's none of your business. Tentatively she reached for his hand, expecting him to pull it back; she found herself presently surprised when he didn't. "I know, you can't tell me. Forget I asked."

"Ah came to let yeh know ah won't be around tonight."

"Oh." Anna dropped Stephens hand, disappointment clear in her eyes. "Usually you just ring me."

"Ah didn't think yeh'd complain about seeing me." Stephen furrowed his brows then crossed his arms over his chest.

"I didn't mean it like that, Stephen." Anna pressed a kiss to Stephens cheek, the heels she had on making it easier to reach him.

"Maybe yeh could go and see Lara and Alex?"

"Yeah, maybe." Anna's closest friends; the only people in the word that were going through the same things she was. All of them living in a world of mystery and deceit.

"Ah'll make it up to yeh." And she knew exactly what that meant. Expensive gifts.  
>"Be careful." Anna mumbled before kissing him on the lips, hoping in her mind that he would decide to stay a little bit longer. He didn't, he said his goodbyes and left her in the office all alone.<p>

Anna didn't stay long at the shooting range, she quickly headed over to Lara's house knowing full well that Alex would be at work. "Lara?" Anna yelled, dropping her purse down on the table in the hallway. She expected her friend to be busy typing away at the computer screen, but as she entered the kitchen, she found the complete opposite. Charlie was on the floor, hands and face covered in finger paint. A trail of red, blue and yellow hand prints made their way across the kitchen floor, and at the end of the trail, Lara was on her hands and knees clearing up the mess her ever artistic son had made. "Where's the nanny?"

"Oh good you're here, Bridgette isn't well so she went home. Can you help me clean up?"

Anna stared at Lara as if she'd just seen a ghost. "Do you not know me?"

"Oh I forgot, you don't do anything unless you benefit from it."

"Exactly, I'm not getting dirty. I'm guessing Stu isn't around either." Anna took a seat at the dining table, away from the mess and away from Charlie. Anna and children didn't mix; she had found that out when Charlie had thrown up on her brand new Chanel 2.55 purse. Their relationship just hadn't been the same since.

"Of course not." Lara spoke with a huff, ringing out the cloth over the sink once the floor was clean. "I thought he might have called."

"Stephen stopped by the shooting range at lunch, he'd been in a fight."

"What's new?" Anna couldn't help but nod and agree. This is what they had signed up for, a no questions asked relationship. Whenever their other halves came home, they had to act like everything was normal. Like they never saw the money, drugs, guns and blood stains, but they did. What else would the three friends have to talk about when they went out for cocktails?

"Are you okay?" Anna asked, concerned about her friend. She could tell something was on her mind, and that something probably concerned Stu.

"I need to get this article finished, please will you just look after Charlie." Lara looked on expectantly. "I'll be an hour at the most."

"Fine but you owe me."

Lara rolled her eyes, picking her son up and carrying him to the sink so she could wash his hands and face. "I don't owe you anything."

* * *

><p>Lara snapped one eye open upon hearing the front door close, the red digital numbers on the alarm clock blaring back at her in the darkness of the bedroom. It was a few minutes after midnight from what she could see. A couple of hours ago, she had managed to get Charlie to sleep with the promise that his workaholic father would be home when he woke up in the morning. The toddler's chubby little face lit up at the mention of 'daddy', his dark eyes glistening with excitement when she tentatively tucked him in and read him a bedtime story.<p>

The petite brunette stirred as she heard Stu attempting to carry his burly six-foot-six frame across the carpet without making any loud noises. He had manoeuvred around the room with some effort, toeing out of his shoes and socks as he got to the bed.

"You're late again," she mumbled, her voice laden with sleep. Stu sat hunched over, his back to her, as she rolled to her side in order to face him. He deftly loosened the knot in his tie and pulled it free from his shirt, dropping it on the floor carelessly. Lara sighed, wriggling free of the warm cocoon of covers she had settled herself in, and crawling towards him. She placed her hands on his broad shoulders, massaging lightly to relax him by slow degrees. "I'll give you some credit, at least you actually made it home before two in the morning."

"I've had a long day. I'm sorry; I tried to slip away as soon as I could," he ran a hand over his face and began to unbutton his shirt. A soft moan of approval dropped from his thin lips in response to her handiwork. She pulled away briefly to allow him to remove his shirt, joining the pile of garments that had come to accumulate. His hands fell to his lap as she resumed de-stressing him.

"You're so tense, baby. What did you do today that's got you like this?"

Stu chuckled quietly, "You know I can't tell you that."

Another sigh pushed through Lara's lips. She knew that his job entailed some gruesome stories; often he would be out all day and return without a word. Some things just weren't worth mentioning. She was aware that his avoidance was a way of protecting her from the world he was involved in. She wasn't completely kept in the dark; she knew what she was in for when she married the Englishman.

"Feels good," he smirked, his words dragging her out of her thoughts. Lara paused and pressed her lips to his neck, trailing upwards to plant a kiss on the side of his mouth. She took a deep inhale; he had worn the same aftershave since their first meeting, five and a half years ago, and it still smelt just as inviting. "How's my boy?" His demeanour completely changed when it came to their son.

"Misses his daddy, as always," she replied immediately, yet softness was still evident in her tired voice. "His teeth were giving him gyp today."

Stu grabbed onto her wandering hands, stopped short of their exploration across his hard muscled chest, and brought them to his lips.

"I might just go and see him-" He began to get up from the bed but her words halted his actions.

"I'd rather you didn't. I only got him to settle down an hour ago."

"So you complain that I don't spend enough time with him and when I want to see him you tell me not to bother?" He tried to keep the volume of his voice as low as possible, his harsh whisper still startling her. Anyone who came across him knew he was quick to anger.

"You just suck at picking your moments," Lara retorted with a giggle to restore the mood, retreating back under the covers. "Can't you wait until the morning, like I told him you would?"

The Englishman unbuckled his belt and stepped out of his trousers with a deep sigh. He felt as if he had been neglecting family life as of late. Sometimes he questioned why Lara and Charlie had even stuck around; the least he could do was love and protect them. She stifled a yawn as he climbed into bed and pulled her close, his arms a strong grip around her waist.

"I guess I owe you time as well, huh?"

"You make marriage sound like a prison sentence."

"I love you," Stu whispered, his lips capturing hers in a passionate caress. Her eyes slipped shut as he rolled her onto her back and trailed his lips down her neck. She carded her fingers through his dark curls, tugging lightly to encourage him to pull away. "That's all you really need to know."

* * *

><p><strong>AN – So this is a new fic written by myself, Katie (DefinitelyProbablyMaybe) and Mox (ResplendentAnarchist). We're really excited about writing it so we hope you enjoy reading it :)**


	2. Borrowed Time

_**Borrowed Time**_

Alex ran a hand through her dark brown locks exasperatedly, wanting nothing more than for the day to come to an end. She had been in a surly mood since that morning, rolling over in bed only for her hand to meet the cool sheets. She had searched the whole house for any sign of Tommy, first checking the basement gym, but after finding the now-spoiled meal she had left out for him still on the kitchen counter, she had surmised that he had not even come home the night prior. Her mood only fell further when she had retrieved her phone, finding neither a text nor voice message telling her about his plans.

_When does he ever tell me anything?_

Shaking her head of the thought, Alex forced herself to bring focus back to the task at hand. With the financial quarter nearing an end, her boss had started to become anal about her reports, asking her to make extensive reviews of each week since the quarter began. Her job would have been made easier if she was just to go through the company's database, compile everything she needed, and print it out. But she knew her boss would be asking for every shipping order, every proof of receipt and every report of loss just to be accurate, leaving her elbow-deep in files and ledgers to look over.

Taking a quick glance at the clock on the far wall of her office, Alex knew she only had a matter of minutes until her boss called her into his office to hand over her report and discuss anything should it not have added up to what he expected. Taking another look at her finished report, she figured she'd save him the energy and just get the meeting over with, picking up her iPad and grabbing her printed files, along with a pen drive with the copy of her report to give to her boss.

Built from the ground up over 50 years ago, Brooks Shipping Co., passed down through the men in the family, had become one of the biggest shipping companies in the whole of the United States, making shipments by land, air and sea all over the world. It was the whole reason why Alex had chosen to move all the way from her home state of California to a place she knew nothing about. The company's sheer success, paired with her ambitious goals, was too much of a draw.

Professionally, she had felt fulfilled, managing to rise up the company ranks within the five years she had been working there. Personally, it was her very own hell on earth. The reason for which was in the form of what was behind the imposing black double doors leading into the executive office. Alex gave a quick hello to Melissa, shaking her head when the secretary glared in her direction. Stopping right in front of the double doors, she squared her shoulders, squinting at the raised silver letters on the name plate – Philip Brooks.

"Let's get this over with," she muttered to herself. "Just get in and out as fast as you can, and you're home free for the weekend to spend with Tommy."

She raised her hand, curling it into a fist poised to knock, only to be stopped short by Phil's voice from the other side of door. Muffled as it was, it was quite clear to her that he was letting out his frustrations on whoever it was he was talking to.

"He's been going at it for the past 30 minutes," Melissa stated. "I'd hate to be on the other end of his temper tantrum but we all know he's quite fond of you. Maybe you can bring his mood up."

Alex didn't have to look back in her direction to know that a malicious smirk was sent her way. At 27 years old, having worked for a company for only five years, and already having the title of Administrative Manager, her success in the company had always been questioned by co-workers. Most had thought that Phil's fondness of her had translated to being given preference for promotions, never mind that she managed to prove time and again that she was not only capable but excelled over others in any task that she was given.

Despite Phil's muffled angry voice still coming through the doors, Alex boldly knocked, rolling her eyes when she heard Melissa scoff from behind her. Without waiting for any permission to do so, she had turned the knob, stepping into the huge office before turning around to shut the door, quickly catching her boss' eye.

"I have a meeting to tend to. I'll deal with this later," Phil gritted out over the phone, quickly slamming it back down on the receiver. "Ms. Kincaid," he said, his voice dissolving into an all too sweet tone. "What can I do for you?"

"Just here to give you another report sir," Alex replied, approaching his desk to place the files down and hand him the pen drive. "I've highlighted the returns and losses, as well as some errors that have popped up to make it easier for you to follow. Should I start?" She asked, clutching her iPad close to her chest.

Much to her surprise, he had waved it off. "I'll take a look at it myself later. Why don't you sit down for a second Alexandra," he said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.

She gingerly sat down, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at his use of her full name, not liking the way it rolled off his tongue. "Is something wrong sir?"

"Phil, please," he insisted, a smirk finding its way to his lips. "You've been working here for five years. I would hope you would know my name by now."

Alex bit down on her tongue, knowing full well where the conversation was about to go. Ever since she had started working for him, he had always expressed his fondness, or rather, infatuation towards her. She had to admit, back then, she had been quite attracted to him. She had always had a weakness for men with tattoos, and his smirk could melt many women down to the floor. But she was quick to learn that he did just that, chasing down anything that wore a skirt before throwing them to the side once he was finished, quickly making the attraction vanish.

Phil was not one to take no for an answer however, both in professional or personal matters. He would argue that he was being assertive, but those that knew him well would call him ruthless to no end when it comes to getting what he wanted. But what he wanted from her, he couldn't understand that he was never going to have.

"I'm sorry," Alex quickly interrupted, standing up from the chair to shake off the hand that rested on her shoulder. Phil had droned on about some restaurant opening that he wanted to try, making his way towards her with every word. He had extended the invitation for her to accompany him, saying how he knew she liked Asian cuisine and would be able to tell him if it was worth coming back for. But she had once again thwarted his advances. "I actually have plans," she said hurriedly. "Girls' night out."

"Your loss my dear," Phil said with a shrug, the smirk never leaving his lips. "Maybe another time."

"If there's nothing else sir –" she started.

"You can leave," he said dismissively, making his way back behind his desk, picking up the phone once again.

Alex didn't hesitate to make her exit, blowing out a puff of air once the doors were closed behind her.

"Well that was quick," Melissa snorted, eyeing her from head to toe, trying to see if there was even a lock of hair out of place. "Is he a one minute man?"

Alex refused to dignify her with an answer, holding her head high as she walked past without a word. She wanted nothing more than to slip her rings on and hold her hand out for everyone to see and scream "Hey look! I'm married! I have been for two years!" But she knew she couldn't, for reasons she dare not ask.

Back in the solace of her own office, she sank down into her chair, leaning her elbows against the desk, head held between her hands. Noticing her BlackBerry's notification light blinking, she picked up her phone, heaving a sigh when she had seen the message Tommy had sent. "Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it," she mumbled, dropping the phone back on the table.

_Don't set dinner out for me. I'll be home late._

* * *

><p>A beautiful sunny Saturday morning called for one thing - brunch with friends. Although it was something they did on a regular basis, it wasn't often that there would be more than the three of them. Lara had cooked delicious pancakes for Anna and Alex, only for them to be joined by her husband, Stephen and Tommy. No one complained though, time was precious and any second they could spend together was cherished.<p>

The three men were now in the living room, deep in a discussion about lord knows what, various papers strewn across the coffee table they were sat around. Although they didn't know what they were talking about, it certainly didn't stop the girls from guessing.

"I think Ste is sharing hair advice." Anna mused, evident that her lip reading skills were non-existent.

"Maybe they're on some kind of team, soccer perhaps?" Alex suggested and they all shared a laugh.

"Well whatever it is, we aren't a part of it." Lara studied Stu and his behaviour. He was focused and intense, mirroring the men next to him. It was like they were completely different people.

"I actually need to talk to you guys." Alex confessed, getting the attention of both of her friends.

"Me too, I bought this new dress and I need your opinions." Anna spoke up, reaching for her iPhone. "I took a picture, but I'm just not sure."

Lara crossed her arms over her chest as Alex snatched the phone from Anna's hand. "I don't have time for your crap."

"Hey!" Anna grabbed her phone back, looking at Lara for some support. "It's a gorgeous dress."

"Then keep it." Lara stated, turning to Alex so she could hear what her friend had to say.

"Oi!" Stu boomed and silence fell over the house. Lara turned to her husband, sensing all eyes on her. "Take your gossiping elsewhere." The scowl on his face and the tense look between Stephen and Tommy said it all. She narrowed her eyes and turned back to Alex and Anna.

"Someone's crabby." Anna mumbled, looking over at Stephen who looked equally as unimpressed as Stu and Tommy.

"Come on," Lara nodded towards the kitchen and both of the girls followed her, eager to find out just what Alex had to talk about. "Is everything okay?" She asked, glancing at Anna approaching the plate of cookies on the counter top. "Anna, don't eat those-"

"Too late." Anna grinned, sitting on the counter top and taking a bite of the cookie in her hand.

Lara rolled her eyes, turning back to Alex. "Ignore her, what's up?"

Alex heaved a sigh, choosing to take Lara's advice and carry on. "It's my boss."

"Peter?" Anna asked as she took another cookie from the plate.

The two brunettes turned to cast a blank stare at their friend. "It's Philip," Lara deadpanned. "Honestly, where is your head?"

Anna scoffed, about to say something in protest, but quickly shut her mouth when her two friends turned away to continue with their chatter.

"What were you saying?" Lara urged.

"He's been at it again," Alex replied.

At hearing her reply, Anna's disinterested stance was quickly replaced by intrigue. Though not giving much of a care when it came to the man's name, she did worry about the situations Alex kept finding herself in because of Philip.

Sharing a worried glance with Lara, the two listened earnestly to the latest thing that had come up with Alex's boss. The two had been privy to hearing all about Philip Brooks - from his overt kindness towards Alex and being constantly asked out, all the way to the salacious smirks and lewd remarks when he thought she was out of earshot. Not to mention what his not-so-subtle displays have meant for her reputation in the office.

"I actually think he's just giving me tasks now to constantly be stuck in a room with him for long periods of time," Alex said, running a frustrated hand through her dark brown locks. "Oh God, he was even massaging my shoulder last time."

Lara reached out to gently squeeze Alex's arm, reassuring her the best way she knew. "You've been there for what, five years? You know him, the business and you're a smart woman."

"She's right you know." Anna spoke up. "If I was on one of those TV quiz thingys and I had to 'phone a friend', you would be that friend."

Alex shook her head; Anna's ridiculous comments not making the situation any better. "What do you think I should do?"

"What can you do? He's your boss." Lara sighed, getting frustrated that there wasn't more any of them could do.

* * *

><p>Stu's enthusiastic shout of "Goal!" could be heard through the kitchen window, even if it was slightly muffled. Lara moved over to the sink after placing a marinated pork belly in the hot oven. She watched Charlie jump up and down as the football landed in the goal's netting, the huge grin on his face infectious as he clapped his small hands together. His red wellington boots squelched as he ran through a particularly muddy part of the back lawn, screaming with joy as Stu scooped him up in his strong arms. He spun him around in the air without a care in the world; it was moments like this that Lara loved to watch unfold. Stu's softer side rarely broke through his stern exterior, but when it did, it made her heart melt. She noticed the two pairs of eyes watching her from the far side of the garden; Stu pointed to the window and whispered something to Charlie which caused him to squeal excitedly. He placed a kiss on the little boy's flushed cheek and set him back down on the ground.<p>

"Charlie! Come here for a second," she called from the sliding glass porch door, holding out her son's warm bomber jacket for him to get into. Stu made his way over to the porch with the mud-covered football under his arm. He let out a sigh and quirked an eyebrow, an action which certainly didn't go unnoticed by his wife. "Oh, don't look at me like that. It's getting cold out and I don't want him getting sick."

"You worry too much. It's good for his immune system if he's exposed to the elements."

"Stu, it's freezing out here."

"Would you relax? Charlie's fine," he reassured, crouching down to his son's level. His hand reached out and ruffled Charlie's short dark hair. "Aren't you, mate?"

"Daddy! Play!" He laughed, snatching the ball out of his hands and taking off down the lawn. The Englishman smirked as he glanced up at Lara, who had her arms folded across her chest. He stood to his full height, planting a quick peck on her lips before jogging off to catch up with Charlie.

"Kick the ball to me then."

Charlie's little legs hadn't built up quite enough strength for a full swing at the goal, but he tried his hardest to send the ball as far as possible. The wind had picked up, and Stu could feel the chill creeping up his arms; he grit his teeth, having to grin and bear it after his defensive stance earlier. He waited for Charlie's shot at goal, only to be sent in the other direction, the ball landing in the pond near the house.

"Go get it!" Stu laughed, gesturing towards the pond. He watched his son climb the surrounding decorative stones like an explorer's challenging rock climb and grabbed onto the back of his jacket just in time. Charlie was yanked backwards, the ball still floating on the water's surface. "Whoa! Can't let you fall in, your mum will kill me; I'll get it."

"Fishies!" The small high voice that left him was one of pure wonderment. He pointed a stubby finger down at the orange and white speckled fish darting carelessly around the restricting pond.

"Don't try and pick one up. Leave them in the water where they belong." Stu warned, noticing the boy leaning closer to the water. "Charlie..."

Upon hearing his name, he stared up at his father wide-eyed.

"Fishies!" He repeated his words with a more huffed tone, his eyes following the tiny air bubbles that popped up on the surface. His fingers poked at the pond when Stu grabbed the ball. Just as quick as he had tested the water, his fingers recoiled having been caught.

"Oi! What did I just say? Get out of it, you little monkey."

Stu gently took hold of his wrist and lead him back to the porch, the toddler on the verge of tears having been scolded by his father. Lara appeared at the door again with a damp cloth in hand. She called her son to her once more, cleaning off his dirty hands and handing him an oatmeal cookie from the batch she had baked earlier that afternoon. He eagerly accepted the offer, sucking on the soft confection as Stu reached into his pocket to answer his phone. After a short and hushed conversation, he hung up and made a beeline for the house. Lara narrowed her eyes as he approached her, stopping him in his tracks by tightly grabbing his bicep.

"Where do you think you're going?" He glanced down at her, his attitude completely nonchalant.

"I've got to go."

"What do you mean 'you've got to go'? Go where?"

Charlie finished his cookie and picked up the football lying on the grass, trying his hardest to get his squabbling parents' attention.

"Daddy?"

"I'm sorry, it's an important call. The guys need me." She rolled her eyes, loosening her grip on his arm. This always seemed to happen; he would get called in at stupid hours or during his quality time with his family. Lara followed him as he carried on through the kitchen and into the living room.

"But I've made you dinner."

"I'll heat it up when I get back." Lara scoffed in response. He lifted his head from sorting through various papers he had set out on the coffee table, discarding half of them and scooping up the rest before setting off for the staircase. Charlie appeared in the archway, his eyes wide and glassy.

"This is ridiculous! Do you not care at all?"

Stu retraced his steps backwards, slowly coming to stand at the foot of the staircase again. He was losing his temper with his wife's behaviour.

"What the hell is the matter with you? This is my job; it's what pays the bills. Of course I don't want to stop my precious time with you and Charlie."

She swallowed hard as he raised his voice to her, hating to be shouted at like she was a child. Her foot tapped on the floor; she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed while he waited for an answer.

"You know what? Just go." She almost whispered her words in an act of defeat. He took a step closer to her, knowing that she didn't sincerely mean a word of what she had just said.

"Come on, sweetheart, don't be like this." He went to touch her but she shrugged him off in irritation.

"Be like what? I don't even know where you sneak off to!" Her complaint caused his jaw to go slack. Lara looked to him, shocked at her own outburst. She managed to take a deep breath, adopting a softer tone. "Can't they do without you for once? You do have a family, for God sake!"

As if on cue, Charlie tugged on Stu's jeans to get him to pay attention.

"Come play!"

"Look at your son..." Stu half-smiled at Charlie, who was holding the football out to him, complete with puppy-dog eyes and a wobbly lip. It was the worst kind of guilt trip for a parent.

"Please daddy?"

Stu set his papers down as Lara picked up the toddler. He looked on sympathetically, mustering up the strength to break the kid's heart, and not for the first time. "I'll be back before your bedtime, mate. And tomorrow we'll play all the football you want, I promise."

"Wanna play now!" His whining eventually turned into a series of sobs, tears sliding down his rosy cheeks. Stu muttered an apology before ascending the stairs to get changed into smarter, cleaner clothes. Lara buried her face into her son's dark hair, kissing him to soothe his cries.

"Daddy's got to go to work again, baby."

By the time he had made it back downstairs Lara had set Charlie in his high chair, ready for the dinner that Stu was bound to miss. He watched his son play up, shaking his head when he threw his sippy cup of juice hurtling to the floor. Lara picked it up, completely ignoring her husband's presence, and went back to slaving over the hot stove in order to finish off the meal. He tried to act as if they hadn't just had an argument, stepping behind her and pressing his lips to her neck and then her cheek.

"Save me some food?"

"Uh huh."

Not so much of a goodbye, but he wasn't ready for round two of the shouting contest. He kissed Charlie's forehead and left through the back door, taking a detour through the garage. Lara watched him suspiciously from the window, confusion quickly etched on her features. The bright yellow light illuminated the surrounding area; it cast threatening-looking shadows on the pathway. He bypassed the power tools without a second thought and took a metal baseball bat from the wall. His fingers gripped around the handle as he began to inspect it; for what she wasn't exactly sure, but she certainly had an inkling. He seemed satisfied with his choice, switching off the light and shoving the bat into the passenger side of his car before driving off into the night.

* * *

><p>Anna quietly shut the front door behind her, the glossy wooden floors not helping silence her steps through the hallway. Raking a hand through her blonde hair, she listened out for any sign of Stephen, assuming he was home. Checking the living room and kitchen there was no sign of him; a horrible feeling settled over her but she tried to shake it off. It had only just gone past 10pm, and although it was late it was still early for someone like Stephen.<p>

Once Anna reached the bedroom she threw her bag onto the bed with a sigh. Her afternoon had consisted of shopping and dinner with her parents. Stephen had once again made himself scarce after they had left Stu and Lara's house; important work to tend to he had told her and she could only nod and say goodbye. Taking a few strides across the bedroom, Anna closed the curtains and put the lights on. Once again she would be going to sleep alone and waking up alone.

Slowly she took her jacket off, throwing it to the bed with her bag. She gripped onto the hem of her thin red cotton tank top, pulling it over her head then letting it fall to the floor. She felt a few of the tensions flow out of her as she stretched her arms to the ceiling.

"Nice of yeh to say hello," Anna screeched and spun around, startled by Stephen's sudden appearance in the bedroom doorway. "Relax will yeh, lass."

"Where the hell were you?" Anna's hand was still tightly clutched against her chest, her breathing still a little bit erratic.

"In me office. Quite a show yeh were putting on there." Stephen smirked, his arms crossed over his chest in his usual stance. His size always astounded her, even this far into their relationship. It was also the reason so many men were scared of him, standing at 6 foot 6 inches he towered over everyone, and his muscles only made him even more intimidating.

"See anything you like?" Anna asked, dropping her hand to hip. Stephen raked his gaze down her body, making her shiver.

"Ah have to go ou'." Stephen's expression didn't change, but Anna's did. She rolled her eyes and turned back around, picking her top up from the floor. "Ah'll make it up to yeh." A bout of déjà vu hit Anna, hearing the exact same words she had heard just the previous day.

"I just want time with you. And maybe to know you don't have to leave five minutes later." Anna pulled her heels off, now standing at only 5 foot 8 inches Stephen towered over her just a little bit more.

"Anna, yeh talkin' like yeh never see me an' yeh don't know what yeh got yehself into," Stephen moved over to his wife, turning her around then taking the shoes and top from her grip, dropping them to the floor. He took hold of her hand, pulling her over to the full length mirror next to the wardrobe. "Wait here." Stephen mumbled as he kissed her cheek then left the room.

Anna sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, now only clad in her white lace bra and black leather trousers, she wondered just what the hell Stephen was doing. Once he returned a few moments later, he stood behind her, a small box in his hand. "Ah told yeh Ah'd make it up to yeh." Stephen spoke against Anna's ear, staring at each other through the reflection in the mirror. He pulled a chain out of the box, gently placing it around Anna's neck and fastening the clasp.

Reaching her hand up to gently touch the necklace, she let a small smile creep to her face; two interlocking O's paved with diamonds sparkled under the lights, catching her in a trance. "Wow, I love it," she turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes so she could gently kiss his lips. "Thank you."

"Ah'll be back before yeh know it." Stephen promised, stealing another kiss before pushing Anna away slightly.

"Just be-"

"Be careful, Ah got it." Stephen smiled at her one last time before turning to leave, once he was through the door he shouted to her. "Don' wait up." Anna laughed to herself.

She didn't intend to.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN – Thank you for the reviews, favourites and story alerts! Really hope you stick with the story, we have so much planned already :). Lou, Katie and Mox.**_


	3. And So It Begins

_**And So It Begins**_

"Ste?" Anna shouted through the apartment, hoping that for once Stephen was home. She didn't get her hopes up, even though Stephen said he would be around. Deciding to check his office first, she was pleasantly surprised, seeing her husband sat behind the wide oak desk. Still in his formal wear, he had his sleeves rolled up and the top few buttons of his shirt undone.

Anna took a few steps inside the room, her eyes clocking his jacket and gun slung across the leather sofa. She could him speaking on the phone, now in hushed tones since she had arrived.

"Hey," she greeted as soon as Stephen had put the phone down. "Are you busy?"

"Do yeh need something?" He asked with a sigh, turning to look at his computer screen.

"I'm not allowed to come and see my husband?" Anna shook her head, bewildered by the standoffish behaviour that she had been greeted with.

"Sorry, lass. Ah've got a lot goin' on."

"It's a Sunday, Ste. Maybe we could go out for dinner or something?"

"Alright, give me an hour," Stephen rubbed his jaw, his gaze landing on the mass of papers spread across his desk. "Before yeh go, what were yeh talking to the girls abou'?" He asked, not bringing himself to look up from the papers on his desk.

"When?" Anna didn't move any more. Her eyes were glued onto her husband and his now nonchalant attitude.

"Yesterday." Finally he looked up, eyebrows raised and waiting for an answer. Anna had to stop herself from smiling; for once she was in the driving seat. Albeit the information she had probably had nothing on what Stephen knew, but it still gave her a little inkling of satisfaction.

Without changing her demeanour she shrugged her shoulders. Moving across the room to perch on the edge of the desk close to Stephen, she calmly asked "What were you and the guys talking about?"

Stephen chuckled, belittling her and her question. He smirked at her as if it was the most ludicrous thing she had ever asked. "Yeh wanna be like that, do yeh?"

"If you can't tell me, then I can't tell you." She crossed one leg over the other, her skirt riding up her thighs, making him respond by licking his lips. He leant back in his leather desk chair, resting his elbows on the sturdy arms.

"Yeh really want to know?"

"I really do."

"We might be recruiting a new guy."

"Tell me more," Anna smiled, reaching out to drag her fingers down Stephen's forearm, lightly toying with his rolled up sleeve.

"Ah've said too much already. Yeh going to tell me now?"

Anna pulled her iPhone out of her jacket pocket, tapping the screen a few times before giving it to Stephen. "I got this dress and I didn't know if it was me, but the girls think it is," she smiled watching his face drop. "So I'm going to keep it."

"Yeh fuckin' kidding me?" Stephen threw the phone onto the desk, his voice raised just enough to make Anna stand upright.

"You wanted to know!"

"Ah thought Alex might have said something."

"Alex?" She pulled her brows together, wondering what exactly her husband knew. "Did Tommy want you to ask me?"

He huffed and raked a hand over his face, his impatience growing every second. "He thinks she's been acting funny."

"You should have just asked me that." Anna turned to leave but Stephen gripped onto her wrist. Looking down at the large hand wrapped around her slender wrist, she tried to pull away but he tugged her towards him, trapping her between his burly frame and the desk.

"Ah don't like being swindled."

"I haven't swindled you, Stephen," she laughed, gently reaching out to rub his shoulder.

"People get punished when they take advantage o' me." With his stare still burning into Anna's bright blue eyes, he placed his hand on top of hers, immediately halting her actions.

"I would never, ever take advantage of you." Leaning forward and bending over, she pushed her lips against Stephen's. She couldn't help but smile as he groaned, her actions making his control slip. He quickly brought it back, his hand sliding to the back of her neck to make sure she was exactly where he wanted her.

Anna groaned against Stephen's lips in frustration as the ringing of his phone cut through their intimate moment. Stephen gently pulled away from her, licking his lips. She could see in his eyes he was disappointed, that was clear to see. "Don't pick up," she mumbled against him, trying to kiss him again.

"Sorry, lass."

"Fine, one hour." Anna reminded him then picked up her phone. She moved around the desk, hearing Stephen answer the call.

"Yeh need me right now?" She stopped at the door, disappointment washing over her. Turning around, she locked eyes with Stephen who just stared back at her. "Ah can't, Ah've got other plans.

Excited was putting things lightly. It had been a while since Stephen and Anna had been out, just the two of them at least. Having been getting ready for the last 50 minutes, she finally retreated back to Stephen's office, hoping he would get himself changed and ready to go.

"Ste, are you going to get changed?" She stepped into the office, frowning at Stephen still sat behind his desk. He looked up, sighing and running a hand over his face. "Don't even think about it."

"Yeh don't know what Ah'm thinkin'."

"I know that look, you're bailing on me, aren't you?" He shook his head, pushing himself away from the desk to stand up. "Maybe I'll go out all by myself dressed like this then." She smirked, hand on her waist, toying with her husband. The black leather Thakoon dress stopped mid-thigh, and she now stood a little bit taller in her nude Christian Louboutin highness pumps.

"Ah'd be crazy if Ah did that."

"Then go and get ready." Stephen chuckled to himself. It wasn't often he had orders barked at him, but when it was Anna, he didn't mind that much. He couldn't help but slip an arm around her, tugging her into his body.

"Yer awfully feisty tonight," he gripped her chin between two fingers, making her look up at him. "And Ah'm not lettin' yeh ou' o' me sight lookin' like that." Stephen kissed Anna hard on the lips, taking her off guard and stealing her breath. "Go an' wait fer me in the lobby." With that, he moved around her and down the hallway towards the bedroom.

At Gibson's Bar and Steak house, Stephen was a regular. He held business meetings there and most of all, it was a safe house. Having been close friends with the owner for some time, Stephen knew he could go there no questions asked. He was greeted like family, shown to his familiar spot near the back, away from anyone that could pry on his conversations and lucrative deals.

Anna watched Stephen nod and acknowledge a man close to the bar. Even his sleeked back hair and lip ring didn't offer her any reminder to who it was; surely she would have remembered him.

"Who's that?" She asked, feeling her husband place his arm across the back of the booth, his fingers lightly grazing her shoulder.

"Phil Brooks," Stephen spoke against her ear, making sure no one could hear or see what he was saying.

"Oh!" Anna flashed back to the conversation she'd had with Alex and Lara the previous morning. "The sleaze that is Alex's boss."

"The what?" He asked, watching her eyes widen, fumbling over words to try and take back what she had just said. "So when Ah asked yeh what Alex had said, yeh lied, didn't yeh?"

"Ste-" Anna moved closer to Stephen, her hand sliding onto his thigh and squeezing lightly. Her heart was thumping against her chest as his mood rapidly changed.

"Yeh lied," Stephen stated; no questions.

"Alex didn't want us to say anything, to anyone," she lightly kissed his cheek, hoping her persuasive nature would work. Hearing him grumble slightly she had to smile. "I'm sorry; I'll never lie to you again."

"Ah didn't think yeh'd lie to me in the first place." Anna continued kissing Stephen's cheek, trying her best to get back into his good books.

"You know what Alex is like, Ste. She's so independent but she just wanted advice. Please let her tell Tommy in her own time."

"Never even think abou' lyin' to me again," Anna swallowed hard; she hated being scolded by Stephen. "Ah'll be back in a minute."

Anna let out a heavy sigh as he left the booth, mentally cursing herself for slipping up. She quickly pulled her phone out of her bag whilst Stephen was still gone. Quickly, she typed a text message to Alex.

_Accidently slipped up about the sleaze. Don't worry; Ste won't tell Tommy._

* * *

><p>Alex collapsed on the bed, completely worn out from running around the house all day. Rolling over to her side, she reached for a pillow, clutching it against her chest. As she breathed in, her senses were sent into overdrive, taking in Tommy's scent that had seeped into the soft down. Closing her eyes, she let her mind wander to thoughts of the past few days.<p>

After the slight surprise of sharing brunch with him and their closest friends yesterday, she had so looked forward to spending the day with him, hoping that he could make her forget the stress of work and having to deal with Phil. But much like she should have long been used to, her husband had opted to hole himself up in his office going over whatever business plans he, Stephen and Stu had managed to talk about the day before, barely even acknowledging her when she had popped in for a few moments to set down a plate of food for his lunch.

Finding nothing better to do, Alex had decided to find some sense of normalcy by cleaning the house and doing various chores. _As normal as it could get when you're washing blood-stained shirts_, she thought.

She could feel herself already drifting off to sleep when the pillow was suddenly yanked from her grasp; she let out a soft shriek as she popped her eyes open to find Tommy leaning over the side of the bed, practically on top of her. "For how huge you are, you're pretty sneaky," she said, looking up at him with a small pout.

"You were just millions of miles away," he mused, pressing a kiss to her lips as he let his body fall gently onto hers. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Alex said with a nod, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Just tired."

"You know," he started, "We could just get a maid or two. You already work your pretty little ass off during the week. Do you really want to tire yourself out making sure the house is spotless? I'm already tired just thinking about it."

It would seem like a daunting task, keeping the five-storey Greystone style home as pristine as possible. But with as much time as she spent left alone in the house, cleaning gave her a reason to keep busy and avoid thinking of the possibilities of where he had disappeared to, or worse, with who.

"It's fine. I like being able to do with the house the way I want it," she said, cupping his cheek. "And besides, do you really want more eyes and ears in this house? Would you be prepared to have a stranger ask why there are muddy footprints on the hardwood floors or why you tore through another shirt?"

"Lex," Tommy said pointedly, pushing away from her and completely getting up off the bed.

"What?" she asked, leaning up on her elbows as she watched him run a palm down the side of his face, "I don't mean anything by it; I'm just stating the obvious."

"Lex," he said again, this time in a softer tone. "You know I'm doing this bec –"

"Because of me," she interrupted, "For us and the rest of our lives together. I know."

"Don't be like that," he said, sighing deeply. He knew it would only be a matter of time until she got fed up with their arrangement, but he thought she would have at least figured out that it was only in place so she didn't have to deal with the bigger picture. The less she knew, the better.

Alex let herself fall back on the bed, shutting her eyes and waving her hand in the air as if to tell him to forget she even said anything. She wasn't even going to try and argue with Tommy, knowing that both their tempers could just flare up and what was left of their otherwise quiet weekend would be shot to hell.

She could hear him take several steps before the sound of gushing water broke through the eerie silence. She raised her head just in time to see him step out of the master bath, pulling his shirt off in the process. Whatever anger and tiredness she felt quickly dissolved as she watched his muscles ripple under the lights, her eyes following his every step as he stalked his way to her.

"Get up," he ordered.

"Tommy," she whined. "I don't wanna."

He shook his head at seeing hearing her whine, not being able to help the chuckle that rumbled from his throat when she rolled to her side and hugged his pillow again. "Come on," he said, pulling at her. He tugged at her arms but she surprisingly didn't budge. Shrugging to himself, he decided to just pick her up and throw her over his shoulder, laughing when she squealed in protest, before heading back into the bathroom. Setting her down on the marble floor, Tommy gave her a quick peck on the lips, moving towards the tub to shut off the faucet.

"How about a nice relaxing bath Mrs. Mercer?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow in her direction.

He made the few steps back to where she stood, her hands going around his bare waist once he was within reach. "Sounds good to me," she said, standing on her tip toes to capture his lips.

Tommy bent down to pick her up once again, her legs wrapping around his waist, as he walked over to the counter to gently set her down. His hands made its way to her chest, fingers deftly unfastening the buttons one by one. Alex moaned into his mouth when his large hands palmed at her breasts before making its way up to her shoulders to push the garment off. He pulled away from the kiss as his eyes roamed over the newly exposed skin, licking his lips as her chest rose with each ragged breath, the fullness of her breasts looking even more inviting. Cupping her face between his hands, Tommy lowered his head to hers, moving past her lips and placing kisses along her jaw, trailing a path down to her neck. Alex gasped as he bit down on the juncture between her neck and shoulder, her grip on his shoulders tightening as he licked at the spot, sending shivers along her spine.

The shrill ring of a phone, alerting both of them of a message, made its way to their ears, having Tommy stop his ministrations and Alex groaning at the interruption. "It could be important," he stated. "I'll be right back," making his way out before she could even utter a word.

Jumping down from the counter, she turned towards the bath tub, thinking that she might as well make use of it even if he ended up having to leave for whatever reason. Finding the waistline of her jeans, her hands made quick work of unbuttoning them and sliding it off her toned legs. Just as she managed to get them off and stood back upright, Alex gasped as she saw the look of anger on Tommy's reflection in the mirror.

"What's wrong?" she asked him worriedly.

"One of us needs to change alert tones," he said evenly, the fire in his eyes still shining. "The message was for you and I picked your phone up by mistake."

"I don't see what –" she started to say, clamping her mouth shut when he raised his hand to tell her to be quiet.

"Accidentally slipped up about the sleaze. Don't worry; Ste won't tell Tommy," he recited off the top of his head, taking a purposeful step towards her at each word that left her mouth. "That was from Anna. What sleaze, and why is it so important for me to not know?"

Alex let out a shaky breath, partly relieved that it was all the message had said, partly scared at the look in Tommy's eyes. "It's just a guy at work," she said, thinking of a quick lie.

"What guy?" he ground out.

"He's a new employee," she went on. "Still in training actually, and he's just been acting like the biggest sleazeball on the planet, hitting on anything in a skirt."

"Are you sure that's all?" he asked, placing his hands on either side of her, trapping her between the counter and his muscled form, not quite believing what she was saying. "Why do you want to keep that from me so badly?"

"Babe," Alex said, trying to alleviate the tension by placing her hands against his chest, a soft smile gracing her lips as she looked up at him. "Knowing you, you'd come marching to the office and turn the whole place upside down to find the guy before pummelling him within an inch of his life for even looking at me the wrong way. Then what of our little secret?"

Tommy's eyes softened at her reasoning, realizing that he had no reason to not trust his wife, and actually feeling grateful that she was still catering to their arrangement. "Sorry," he whispered, planting a kiss to her forehead.

"It's okay," she replied, patting at his chest, "The water's probably turned cold now."

"I'll run us a new bath," he said, moving towards the tub.

Alex watched as he leaned over to drain the now cold water, mentally kicking herself for lying to his face, something she never had to do before. _Why did Anna have to send that message?_ She thought. _I need to talk to Lara._

* * *

><p>Lara let out a deep sigh as she stared at the half-finished article on her MacBook Pro. She was relieved that with her job she could at least work from home, which gave her more bonding time with her son. Having said that, assignments were coming in thick and fast, and the need for the nanny was more necessary than ever. Her long nails tapped against the ceramic coffee mug, now in desperate requirement of refilling in order for her to refuel her own energy. Thinking would have come a lot easier if she hadn't been up every hour or so with Charlie, who kept asking where Stu had gotten to when she had been the one to tuck him in. Her brows knitted together in confused recollection; her mind was blurred, but it must have gone three in the morning before he ended up sneaking in through the front door, unaware that she was still awake.<p>

Her tired eyes watched the cursor blinking on the white word document. A yawn escaped her as she got up from the kitchen stool and poured filtered water from the jug into the kettle, turning it on to boil. The ring of the house phone startled her out of her daydream; she pushed with her hands against the black marble countertop and picked up the cordless next to her computer. As soon as she went to answer, Alex had already begun her tirade.

"_Anna is such an idiot! I could rip her head off right now!"_

"Well good evening to you too..." Lara deadpanned, "What the hell has happened?"

"_Oh nothing," _she sighed, the sound of her body slumping onto her bed coming through the line, _"Just opened her big fat mouth. She should really stick to filling that cavern with your oatmeal cookies."_

"What's she said now?"

"_She told Ste about Phil, and sent me this text to tell me, only Tommy got to it first."_

"Shit," Lara cursed; knowing Anna wouldn't have told Stephen on purpose. It must have been a slip of the tongue. "What did Tommy say?" She probed, intrigued as to what was happening.

"_I told him it was a new guy at work." _Her tone had altered from sheer anger to only slight panic. _"I think he bought it."_

"That's good, then."

"_So you don't think that it's wrong to keep this from him?"_

Lara ran a hand over her face, and then clutched the phone to her ear as she poured herself another cup of coffee. What was she supposed to say? Of course it was wrong to keep secrets from partners, but that didn't stop all their husbands from doing it. She shrugged it off, placing the carton of milk back in the fridge. "It's for the best."

"What's for the best?" A loud, deep voice boomed from the other end of the kitchen, causing Lara to jump.

"Oh god, I thought you were asleep," she gasped, a hand pressed close to her chest. Her heart rate had certainly quickened, and she was sure that it wasn't just because Stu had entered the room and unintentionally scared her.

"I was, but now I'm not," he laughed, pouring himself a glass of water. She mouthed something he didn't quite catch, and pointed a finger at the phone pressed to her ear. He took a sip from his glass before continuing, "Who's that on the phone?"

"_Don't let him know it's me. He'll only ask more questions,"_ Alex was right. He would only want to know everything, mainly why it concerned them. No, she couldn't tell him the truth about Phil's advances on her friend; she knew that he would tell Tommy in a heartbeat, and that wouldn't be good for anyone.

"Brigette," she reeled off her tongue nonchalantly.

"_Atta girl,"_ Alex whispered into the receiver, hoping that the Englishman didn't catch her praises. Lara turned her attention back to the conversation, now trying to construct false alibi.

"Yeah, that's fine, _Brigette_. Feel better soon, won't you?"

"_Oui, oui!" _She mimicked a French accent loud enough so Stu wouldn't cotton on, before speaking quickly and quietly,_ "I'll talk to you later, Lara. Thanks for not letting me freak out about all this."_

"Okay, see you on Wednesday, _Brigette_. Bye."

She hung up and put the phone back on the countertop. Stu plucked an apple from the crystal bowl in the centre of the island, and shined it on his shirt. "What did she want then?"

"...She asked if she could have a few more days off to get rid of her flu. That's okay, right?"

"Sure," he quipped, Lara picking up on the blatant sarcasm in his voice, "It's not like we're paying her or anything..."

"Do you have to be like that? I'd rather she had a couple more days to get better than get Charlie sick."

"He's had his flu shot," Stu claimed simply, taking a huge bite of the green fruit and carrying on the conversation, "You're turning into a right hypochondriac lately. Are you sure that you're not the one coming down with something?"

"Not unless that something is 'Suspicious Wife Syndrome'..." She muttered under her breath, hoping that his loud obnoxious chews had drowned out her statement.

"Where is he anyway?" He asked, slightly concerned that his son was nowhere to be found around the house.

"I convinced my mom to have him for the evening so I could get this article finished." Lara simply stated, sitting back down on the stool to get back into work mode. Stu took the time to survey the kitchen, finding nothing but sparkling countertops and clean floors.

"Well it looks as if you're on top of things. The place is spotless."

"That's because I was up late last night cleaning and waiting for you to come home," she replied without looking up from her MacBook. "In the end I just gave up and went to bed."

He swallowed another mouthful of apple, the sound of his teeth piercing the tough green skin cutting through the tense silence. She managed to type a sentence before he bothered her again. "How long are you going to make me feel guilty for?"

"I'm not guilt-tripping you, Stu." She lifted her head briefly, seeing the flicker of anger in his eyes fizzle away. Why he was trying to add fuel to the fire was completely beyond her. He opened his mouth to speak again but no sound left him. For a couple of moments, he just watched her; her eyes darting from the keyboard to the screen and back again, numerous times as she continued to write her important article.

"You know what we need?" He finally asked, not even expecting an answer from her. The smirk on his handsome face was devilish as he came to stand behind her. She could see his reflection on the screen, and shrugged her shoulders when she remembered he had asked her a question. "We need some alone time."

Lara couldn't help but scoff at his suggestion. "Try telling your boss that. He's the one that ruins moments by calling you into work at stupid o'clock." A chuckle escaped him as he gathered her long hair in his large hands and guided it over one shoulder. The exposure to the air caused her to shiver, rapidly being replaced by Stu's lips on her skin.

"Well, we're alone right now..."

"I have to finish this." He was beginning to annoy her. It wasn't like she ever bothered him while he was working; hell, she didn't even know where he was half of the time. She absentmindedly clicked the save button, paranoid that he would force the laptop shut and all her work would be lost if she didn't pay him the attention he wanted.

"Save the bloody thing and come back to bed with me," he groaned impatiently, "You know you want to."

"I'm afraid I'm going to need some convincing. This article isn't going to write itself." It was Lara's turn to smirk. She watched him from the corner of her eye as he pulled his t-shirt over his head, her teeth delving into her bottom lip at the thought of touching his heavily-muscled body. Without any pre-warning, he spun her around on the stool and kissed her, hard and passionate. The previous conversations – the lies – seemed to float away from her thoughts with every sweet kiss to her skin. Stu was right; they needed to take advantage of every opportunity they got alone together. She linked her arms around his neck as he lifted her up and held her against his body. Her lips pressed against his once more before she pulled away and sighed contently, "You've got half an hour."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Thank you shakeitsalome, xFindTheEnigmaWithin and xj0j0x for the lovely reviews, and also to those of you who have added this story to your favourites/alert list :). Mox, Katie and Lou x**


	4. Dig A Little Deeper

_**Dig A Little Deeper**_

Hopping across the bedroom with one shoe on, Anna tried to put in her diamond earrings. With a huff she sat down on the bed, finally able to put on her other shoe. Meeting the girls for breakfast had been a wonderful idea, although it would have been more wonderful if it wasn't 8 o'clock in the morning. Smoothing down her black J Brand jeans, Anna stood up, her eyes feeling heavy with lack of sleep. Stephen had arrived back during the early hours of the morning, and though she shouldn't have, she asked where he'd been. She had also apologised to Stephen profusely during their dinner out, not just because she had to, but because she hated lying to her husband. She had also made it up to him in their bed, soon drifting off to sleep like they had the perfect relationship.

That was two days ago, and things were back to normal again; waking up to no Stephen and an empty house. Grabbing her purse she hurried down the hallway, taking a glance into Stephen's office on her way. No sign of him. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up; of course he had left before she was up. About to leave, she spotted his jacket from a few nights ago still on the couch. The gun had gone; he would need that but for what Anna didn't know. Quickly she grabbed his jacket, intending on taking it back to the bedroom but something much more interesting caught her eyes. Taking a quick sweep of the room to make sure she was alone, she tiptoed towards Stephen's desk, aware of every little sound around her.

Anna thought she was seeing things, furrowing her brows she moved around the desk, getting a closer look. Pictures of Phil. Pictures of him all across Chicago, getting in and out of cars, houses and Alex's work place. Her mouth slipped open, taking in a deep breath, her eyes scanning over the document besides the pictures.

"Oh my god," she mumbled under her breath, grabbing her bag and rooting through it for her phone. As soon as she felt it she pulled it out, immediately taking a picture of the table and its contents.

"What yeh doing, lass?" Anna's heart jumped to her throat, almost dropping her phone as she laid eyes on her husband.

"I lost an earring yesterday, I thought it might be in here." Anna nervously rubbed her ear and blurted out, heart pounding against her chest as Stephen looked on. His jaw tensed, big arms folded tightly against his wide chest.

"What yeh doin' on yeh phone?" She glanced down at the phone held tightly in her hand, quickly exiting the camera function.

"I'm late for picking Alex up; we're having breakfast with Lara." The lies continued to slip off Anna's tongue, despite the stern warning she'd received from Stephen just a few nights ago.

"Yeh have two earrings in already." He pointed at her, knowing something wasn't quite right.

"I know, these aren't the ones I was wearing yesterday." Anna rolled her eyes, stepping away from the desk and around Stephen to get out of the office. "Forget it. I'll look for it later."

"That's it, no goodbye?"

"When was the last time you said goodbye to me in the morning, Stephen?" Anna stopped in her tracks, watching him rub his forehead. She held out his jacket on the end of one finger. "Do you want this suit dry-cleaned?"

Stephen snatched his suit jacket back, throwing it carelessly behind him. "Ah couldn't give a damn about the suit."

"Well I have to go, I'm late as it is," Anna mustered up all the courage she had, quickly kissed Stephen on the lips and hurried out of the office. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins, keeping her walking quicker and quicker to her car.

She couldn't have gotten into her car quick enough. The tight grip she had on the steering wheel scared her; the way she had lied to Stephen again shocked her more though. Her gaze locked onto the emblem in the centre of the steering wheel; her beloved Mercedes CL-Class coupe that Stephen had bought her. He had no reason to buy her it, other than he loved her. Running a hand through her hair, the guilt started to sweep over her, but in the back of her mind she continually told herself 'you're just looking out for a friend'.

Alex's house was literally around the corner, so two minutes later she was on the front doorstep, beating her fist rapidly against the door. Expecting to see Alex answer the door, she was slightly startled when Tommy appeared.

"Hey," Anna smiled, quickly striding into the house as he held the door open.

"You're actually up."

"Excuse me?" She frowned, the early morning and Tommy's tone not sitting well with her.

"Alex is around here somewhere," he smiled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Anna felt herself growing more paranoid by the second, his intense stare getting to her. "What?"

"Don't you worry about Ste saying a word to me," Tommy continued smiling, unnerving her just a little bit more.

"Hey, you're finally here," Anna had never been more pleased to see Alex. "Ready to go?"

"Yes. Bye Tommy," the blonde made a beeline for the door before he could say anything else to her.

"I can't believe you told Tommy." Anna blurted out as Alex got into the passenger side of her car.

"I didn't you idiot, you did!" She hissed, the frustration she felt the previous night coming back. She quickly pulled on her seatbelt as Anna sped away from the sidewalk.

"What?" Anna slammed on the breaks at a red light, making her friend curse under her breath. She caught a glance of the heels Anna was wearing and mentally said a prayer, hoping they would get to the cafe in one piece.

"He read the message thinking it was his phone," Alex relived that moment in her head, still remembering the blazing look in Tommy's eyes as he read the message out.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry! What did you say?"

"I just told him that there's a new guy working there who's a bit of a sleaze." Alex sighed as they pulled to a stop outside of Elly's Pancake House, both of them noticing Lara's car. "Why did you tell Stephen anyway?"

"Tommy told Ste he thought you were acting a little funny," Anna and Alex were now walking down the sidewalk, towards the cafe.

"Funny how?"

"I don't know, I didn't ask. Anyway, we went out last night to Gibson's, and Phil was there." Anna gripped onto the cold metal handle to the cafe door, pushing it open to be greeted by a blast of warm air and the mouth-watering smell of maple syrup.

"Lara's there," Alex pointed to the brunette sipping a cup of coffee, Charlie next to her in a high chair.

"Oh, she brought the baby..." Anna mumbled, receiving a glare from Alex.

"No wonder Charlie hates you."

"He hates me?"

"Lex!" The bubbly little boy shouted, making Lara look up. She smiled as they sat down.

"Hey Charlie," Alex cooed, watching him chew on a bite size morsel of pancake.

"Okay, before we eat, I have an announcement to make," Anna smiled, making sure Alex and Lara were paying attention.

"You're becoming a nun?" Lara grinned, expecting Anna to roll her eyes. She didn't. Instead she pulled her phone out of her bag, tapped the screen a few times then placed it in the middle of the table.

"Something fishy is going on."

"Is that Phil?" Alex took the phone from the table, bringing it closer to inspect the pictures on the screen.

"These pictures and documents were on his desk. They're all about Phil," Alex passed the phone to Lara, trying to figure out why the guys would have all of this information.

"Did you see anything else?" Alex couldn't stop herself from asking. She wanted answers but she was pretty sure she wouldn't be getting any.

"No, Ste caught me before I really had a chance to look."

"Oh jeez," Lara groaned, taking another gulp of coffee.

"It's fine, he just thinks I lost an earring."

"I'm not even going to ask why," Alex shook her head, taking Anna's phone again, trying to make some sense out of what she was seeing.

"Something is going on with your boss, Alex. And if the guys aren't going to tell us then we'll find out for ourselves."

"I don't know about this, Anna," Alex hated seeing Tommy mad, and with Anna planning this whole thing she knew it would go up in flames.

"Yeah, maybe you should get a job." Lara retorted, half joking and half just telling her friend the truth.

"What?"

Alex knew what Lara was thinking. "So you have something to keep you occupied."

"Something is going on with your boss, wouldn't you like to know?"

"I guess-" Alex was cut off by the waitress standing next to their table, a notepad and pen in her hand, expectant of an order being thrown her way.

"A pot of coffee and two pancakes, thank you," Anna smiled, waiting until the waitress was out of earshot to continue. "Lara, see if Stu has anything information on Phil."

"Are you being serious?" She shook her head whilst cleaning Charlie's face with a napkin. Everything told her not to go behind Stu's back; she had never done such a thing before.

"Yes, just have a look! He won't notice."

"Please?" Lara and Anna turned to Alex, shock written across their faces. Alex didn't know what they were getting into, but if she didn't get answers she'd only drive herself mad with over thinking, especially having to see Phil at work every day.

"Okay, I'll look," Lara sighed, wanting to help her friends out, "But if I get caught-"

"You won't get caught," Anna spoke under her breath as the waitress returned. She smiled as the pancakes were placed on the table, a pot of coffee placed down after.

"You got caught." Lara reminded Anna again, the thought of going through Stu's stuff unsettling her slightly.

"Ste doesn't know anything."

"He will if you slip up again." Alex said in between bites of her pancakes.

"Really, what's the worst that could happen?" Anna grinned, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She would do anything for her friends, and if Alex was in any kind of danger, she needed to know about it.

* * *

><p>Anna impatiently drummed her fingers against the steering wheel, glaring at the red light as if her stare could will it to turn green. "Are you going to talk any time soon?" The blonde asked with a groan, "It's really weird sitting inside this car with you not saying anything, in the middle of Chicago morning traffic, which by the way, should be a crime."<p>

"The traffic?" Alex mused, "Or the fact that you're up this early and just dropping me off for work instead of heading for the biggest sale around?"

"Shut up!" Anna scoffed, "Although it's nice to hear your voice again, I was starting to forget what it sounded like." Hearing the deep sigh that came from her friend, she turned her head to get a good look at the brunette. "What's wrong?"

"How the hell am I supposed to walk into that office and act like I know nothing?" Alex asked, her voice laden with panic. "And don't say I don't know anything because neither of us is stupid enough to think that those pictures are from sightseeing."

"It's a damn ugly sight if you ask me," Anna muttered, quickly shutting her mouth when her friend snapped a glare towards her. "Relax, will you?" She said, raising her hands up in surrender. "Listen, I could just turn this car back around and you can skip work for the day so you can collect yourself. Just say you're sick or something," the blonde offered. "We can go to the range if you want, shoot a few rounds so you can get rid of some pent up energy. Or better yet, we can go shopping! What do you think?"

Alex had to smile at her friend's rare show of support, although she was sure that her rising enthusiasm was more for the idea of shopping and maxing out her husband's credit card rather than the possibility of spending time with a friend. But her mind kept flashing back to the images from Anna's phone, her curiosity piqued at an all-time high. She didn't for once doubt that Tommy and Phil knew each other, as it was in the very offices of her employment when she had first laid eyes on the tall redhead, coming out of Phil's office just as she was about to go in for her final interview. But not once did she think that they'd be so involved that Stephen, one of Tommy's business partners, would have a ledger filled with so much information on her boss. She had no idea what it was for, and she knew that she needed to find out before she could start breathing easily again.

"No," Alex said, her tone short. "I need to go to work."

"Are you sure?" Anna asked worriedly.

"You told Lara that she needs to go snoop to see if Stu has any of the stuff like what Stephen has, and if it could give us an idea just why they have those files," she pointed out. "I think I need to do a bit of snooping of my own. And what better way to do that than be right where the target is?"

Alex watched as the realization dawned on Anna's face, a smirk finding its way to her lips. The brunette shot her eyebrows up in surprise however when the blonde started bouncing in her seat, wildly slapping her palms against the steering wheel. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "This is so exciting!"

"Excuse me, but what?"

"Don't you get it, Alex?" She asked disbelievingly, "It feels like we're _Charlie's Angels_ or something and snooping around trying to nab the bad guy. Ooh, I wonder if this is how our guys feel when they do their thing? It's probably not the same thing, but whatever; I think it's so cool."

Alex could only stare back blankly and was all too grateful that the loud honking of horns interrupted Anna's spiel, her friend flashing her middle finger at the driver behind her before stepping on the gas and driving towards their destination. In the minutes that passed, she had received words of encouragement as to why they needed to get as much information on Phil, and even tips on how to go about things as if the blonde was an expert on the task.

Arriving in front of an office building right in the heart of the business district, Anna threw the car in park, watching as Alex unbuckled her seat belt, taking a huge breath before opening the door. "Hey," she called out softly, all the excitement and confidence in her voice from just moments ago vanishing. Undoing her own seatbelt, the blonde leaned over and gave her friend a hug. "Be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with."

"Thanks," she replied before stepping out into the cold, waving goodbye as Anna sped off.

"Good morning Alexandra."

Alex's breath hitched when she heard the greeting, unprepared to already be facing the man that's already caused so much grief so early in the morning. _Keep calm and act normal,_ she told herself, turning to find the gleaming eyes of Philip Brooks waiting right by the door before offering a greeting of her own. "Good morning to you, sir," she said, walking through the door he had held open for her.

The two said very little to each other as they waited for the elevator, the silence only being broken when they had made it halfway to the offices of Brooks Shipping. "I didn't know you knew Mrs. Farrelly," he mused, telling her of the fact that he had seen her arrival with Anna. "Her husband's been a long-term client of ours. How did you two meet?"

"You do know Anna's family owns a gun shop and range, right?" Pausing to see if Phil was following, continuing when he nodded in response. "I went in one day inquiring about a hunting knife to buy for my dad as a birthday gift and she was the one that sold it to me."

"And you've been friends ever since?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow in her direction.

"Well that and the fact that she was eyeing my Louis Vuitton handbag like it was her last meal and felt the need to talk about it for hours," she said in jest, breathing a sigh of relief when the elevator doors pulled open on their floor. "It was nice talking to you sir. I'll see you later for the next progress report."

Alex hoped that she looked every bit as normal as she could have as she walked towards her office, leaning her back against the door once it had been shut behind her. Taking a steadying breath, she turned her gaze to her desk, eyeing the stack of files that she needed to go through for the day. Pushing off against the door, she stalked over to get her work started. The sooner she finished, the more time she had to look for any clues that could tell her just what Philip Brooks meant to her friends' husbands.

Throughout the day, Alex had gone through each file on her desk, compiling all the information she needed for the report she had to hand over to Phil at the end of the day. All she had to do now was type it up. Glancing at the clock, she had estimated that she had at least three more hours before she would be called to his office, giving her plenty of time to do her digging. But some of the information she was typing into the report had her slowing down. After spending so much time rifling through files, receipts and reports, some of the information had already become so familiar to Alex's eyes. Trying to see if her suspicions were correct, she opened up several other documents on her computer, performing a quick search of the address in question. Her jaw fell slack when it had returned a significant amount of results, showing the same address for some of the company's biggest and most expensive shipments.

Alex's eyes darted from the stack of files on her desk to the information now displayed on her computer screen, trying to figure out what it meant. _I need a name, _she thought. Logging into the company's database, she frantically typed up the address once again, revealing that it was a storage facility owned by a group of men, her eyes growing wide as she stared at the names – _Bennett, Farrelly and Mercer._

* * *

><p>Lara prepared to give in to the peer pressure she felt. After breakfast with the girls, she returned home with Charlie and purposely walked straight past Stu's office, rather hesitant to go through his belongings. She felt as if it was an act of betrayal; before this whole sleaze business she had never lied to her husband. It was like she was already getting a taste for his work, and wondered exactly what he was keeping from her.<p>

It was late afternoon before she even considered stepping foot in her husband's office. Anna had been texting her constantly since she got back, asking if she had found anything linking Phil with their husbands yet. If she was honest, Lara had started to ignore the barrage of messages; if she was going to snoop around, she wanted to do it on her own time without being pestered. She took the opportunity to do some detective work after getting Charlie down for an afternoon nap. With the trusty baby monitor in hand – just in case – she walked downstairs and pushed on the door to Stu's office.

The only problem was she didn't really know what exactly she was looking for. She couldn't mess up his papers, which were organised in stacks, piled high on his large desk. His laptop was password protected, and after several attempts at guessing the correct code, she decided it was easier to snoop elsewhere. She rifled through most of the papers on the desk, managing to carefully place them back as they were, before rummaging through the bookcase and taking a stab at the lock on his file cabinet. Nothing incriminating that she could get to. She pulled open the top draw of his desk, finding a brown folder marked 'confidential' at the bottom, concealed underneath various other papers and stationary. It appeared to be a copy of a case file on Phil Brooks, with personal information inside and photographs paper-clipped over the top. Lara noticed each shoot was dated and timed accordingly with black marker, but her mouth fell open when a certain set seemed to jump out at her.

"Ricardo?" She squinted her eyes in confusion as she flicked through the near-identical photographs like a flipbook, each one revealing an insight into the seedy world Stu worked in. Her eyes kept a firm stare on the file in her hands, and in that moment she completely regretted finding evidence of Alex's boss' dealings. Ricardo Rodriguez was a known associate of Del Rio, a rival Chicago gang leader. Her family had grown to know Del Rio very well before she was involved with Stu, and subsequently shifted to a hatred of the man after several altercations.

Lara went through the photographs again, completely shocked at what she was seeing. The podgier of the men was snapped glancing around warily, and then another photograph showed him handing Phil a small package. She couldn't tell what it was, but her mind immediately thought of the worst things; drugs? A gun, perhaps? The entire exchange lasted just twenty seconds according to the timing on the photographs. If that wasn't suspicious, she really didn't know what was. She wondered why it was her husband that held onto the file. What exactly did he have to do with it?

She yelped as she heard a car door slam shut in the driveway, and strolled over to the window to find Stu walking up the path with his phone clutched to his ear. Hearing the key turn in the lock, she knew it was too late to bail. She hid behind the open door to his office, the folder containing the photographs hugged protectively against her chest. Now more than ever she was aware of her breathing; her throat was dry, her heart was racing, she could feel the fast beat almost painfully in her ears. She swallowed hard as he bypassed his office and headed straight upstairs, keeping his phone conversation hushed.

Her sigh of relief was loud as she rushed into the living room, and pushed the file in between the couch cushions in an attempt to stash it away from Stu. Hopefully he wouldn't think to look there. It was vital that she showed the girls what she had found; taking pictures of everything simply wouldn't do, they needed to see this with their own eyes. Lara turned her attention to the baby monitor in her hand, a faint crackle sounding through the receiver. She could hear Stu cooing over a sleeping Charlie, a smile creeping onto her lips briefly, and soon fading as his voice became clearer.

"_Look, mate, if Brooks refuses to become a partner we'll just have to kill him, no questions asked..."_ Lara stared at the baby monitor in disbelief. He was obviously still on the phone, but she couldn't believe that he would be stupid enough to mention his work in front of his son. They had tried so hard to protect him from things like that. She continued to listen as her husband revealed more.

"_Of course I don't fucking trust him, you saw the photos that the P.I. sent us...Well if he does refuse, at least we know why...Come on, Del Rio's been fucking with me for years, I reckon he's paying Brooks big money for those drug distributions. It's probably a way of buying his trust – all that money..."_

Lara closed her eyes at the mention of Del Rio, her anger quickly building up inside her. She hated that man with a passion, and knew Stu did everything to shield her from him. It had been a long time since she had heard Stu curse his name. At least she knew more about the situation, and why it concerned them: both gangs wanted Phil Brooks as a partner, and it seemed that they would stop at nothing to get him on their side. The girls needed to know. They were entering dangerous territory; Lara knew exactly what Del Rio was capable of, having witnessed it first-hand when she was younger. She turned her attention back to the baby monitor. Stu hadn't spoken for a good few moments, so she figured he had moved out of Charlie's bedroom and carried on his conversation elsewhere. His booming chuckle burst through the device out of nowhere, causing Lara to jump out of her skin.

"_No; you don't need to do that, mate. Worse comes to worst I'll deal with the punk myself..."_

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN - Thank you xj0j0x, shakeitsalome, peeps8705 and xFindTheEnigmaWithinx for the great reviews :) Katie, Lou and Mox _**


	5. What Do We Do Now?

_**What Do We Do Now?**_

Anna placed the boxes of Chinese food on the kitchen counter, grabbing a couple of plates as she swiftly moved around the centre island. She had convinced Stephen to relax a little so she had ordered a Chinese. Just as she reached into the cabinet above the sink for a couple of glasses, she noticed a small box wrapped in black paper, a silver ribbon carefully tied around it. Placing the empty glasses down, she moved over to the box, ever intrigued. Picking it up, she left to find Stephen, forgetting about the food now going cold.

"Ste, what's this?" Stephen looked up from the television, his eyes landing on the box being held out to him.

"A present," he smirked, turning his gaze back to the television.

"For..."

"Fer yeh," Stephen gently pulled on her arm, making her sit down next to him on the couch. Anna tore into the packaging, pulling the lid off the small black box. "Yeh never goin' to find the one yeh lost in this place, could be anywhere."

"Wow, they're beautiful," she gushed at the small dusty pink diamond earrings. "You really didn't have to though."

"Ah know." Anna wrapped her arms around Stephen's neck, trying to mask the guilt looming over her.

"I love you," she mumbled against his lips before kissing him hard. Now more than ever she felt bad for going behind his back and lying. "Can I ask you something?"

"What's up?" She reached for the remote, turning the television off so Stephen would pay attention to her. She gently placed the box onto the coffee table and took hold of his hands, wondering whether or not she should bring up the subject of Phil. Anna slowly ran her finger along Stephen's wedding ring, eventually looking up to see him staring at her. Smiling quickly she took a deep breath, trying to pick the right words.

"What's the deal with Ph-" She wanted to take Stephen's phone and throw it out of the window, the flashing screen and ringing on the coffee table once again interrupting their time together.

"It's Stu, we'll talk later," Stephen kissed her cheek then stood up, taking the call elsewhere in the house.

"Don't forget we have Chinese for lunch!" Anna yelled as he walked out of the room, wondering just how long he was going to be.

Anna slumped back on the couch, forgetting about the food that they would probably reheat later. She hadn't heard from Lara or Alex since the previous day, and she wasn't sure whether Lara would have even gone through Stu's things. The one thing that was stopping her from picking up the phone and ringing Lara was that she would be seeing her later on that evening because Alex and Tommy were hosting a cocktail party.

Now she was trying to keep herself busy, and had found herself organising the walk in wardrobe. Mainly Stephen's section since he often just threw his clothes around, knowing she would pick them up. She glanced up at the shelves above the railings of clothes, shoes and bits and bobs stuffed up there without a care.

Slipping on her six inch Christian Louboutin highness pumps, Anna was just able to boost her height enough so she could reach the top shelf. Gently she tugged on a pair of sneakers, trying to ease them out without shifting anything else. A quick tug and she thought she had them, not accounting for one of the laces to be wrapped around another shoe, bringing that down and a lot of other stuff.

"Fuck," Anna swore as she brought her hands over her head to shield herself from the array of things falling from the shelf. Over everything, she heard the sound of metal, and eventually when she opened her eyes she wasn't sure what to make of what she had found.

Crouching down, she slipped her hand around her handle of a silver 9mm handgun that landed besides her feet. Bringing it up to eye level, she read the serial number on the side; it was registered to the shooting range, and just how Stephen got it she didn't know.

Hearing a bang behind her, Anna spun around, pointing the gun at the door. As soon as she saw Stephen stood there she let out a sigh of relief. Stephen on the other hand looked like he had seen a ghost. He had seen his wife shoot rounds at the shooting range, but never had he seen her point a gun at him.

Stephen held his hands up in mock surrender, "Ah just came to tell yeh we're leaving in an hour, but if yeh need more time Ah'll cooperate."

Anna couldn't help but grin as she lowered the gun, turning it around and handing it to him. "Sorry, I was just sorting stuff out and it fell down." She looked down at the clothes and shoes on the floor, "Along with a few other things."

Taking the gun from her outstretched hand, Stephen inspected it. "Why do you even have it? It's registered to the shooting range."

"Yeh father gave it to me."

"Why?" Anna asked, still curious.

As if someone had just flicked a switch, Stephen's tone changed. "What's wit' all the questions?"

"I was only asking-"

"Put it back where yeh found it." He handed it back to her, pointing at the shelf before turning and leaving the closet.

After making sure Stephen was gone, she quickly shoved the gun into one of her handbags, mentally reminding herself to move it later. Gathering up Stephen's stuff on the floor she put it to one side, now having little time to get ready, let alone organise.

Once she had done her hair - keeping it straight and simple - Anna fixed her make-up. She hadn't left the bathroom for thirty minutes, keeping herself away from Stephen after he had snapped at her. Needing to put her dress on, Anna crept towards the door, pulling it open slightly to peak into the bedroom. Relieved that her husband wasn't there, she moved over to the bed where her dress was laid out.

The long sleeved, thigh high, sequin embellished emerald green Balmain dress was a thing of perfection and Anna had been itching to wear it. Once it was on, she was more than ready to go see her friends.

"Be on yer best behaviour tonight," Anna frowned as Stephen walked past her.

"Excuse me?" She turned on the spot, following his path around the room.

"Ah know what yeh like when yeh've had a few too many." Stephen stretched his arm out, slipping a cufflink through his cuff, and then doing the same to the opposite.

"And what am I like?" Anna crossed her arms over her chest, raising one perfectly arched eyebrow. Stephen tried to move around his wife but she gripped onto his arm making him stop. "Ste, what is up with you?"

"Nothing," he leaned down, pushing his lips against Anna's in a fierce kiss. "Yeh've got ten minutes."

Now more confused than ever, Anna shook her head, trying to figure out what was up with Stephen. Quickly she slipped her feet into her black Christian Louboutin asteroid pumps, heading toward the door and to wherever her husband was.

* * *

><p>"We shouldn't be home too late," Lara said as she smoothed over her strapless dress, the light beige banded skirt covering her curves like a second skin. She turned to her mother, who had offered to take care of Charlie while his parents attended a gathering at Tommy and Alex's house. Charlie clung comfortably onto his grandmother, ready for bed in his Spiderman pyjamas. Lara kissed her son on the forehead before carrying on through to where Stu was waiting impatiently at the front door. "But if you need anything at all just let me know; I've got my phone." She waved her BlackBerry about before placing it in her black McQueen clutch.<p>

"Sweetheart, everything will be fine here. Stop fretting or we're going to be late." Stu grabbed his car keys out of the bowl on the table, looking up to notice the coat that his wife was holding. "That's not yours." He pointed out, making her grip onto the fabric tighter. It was a good way to conceal the file on Phil that she had found in his office the afternoon before; hopefully she could get the girls together in a quiet part of the house and show them everything. She glanced down at the coat, feeling Stu's heated gaze on her as he waited for an answer.

"I know it's not," she finally replied, "Alex left it at the pancake place the other morning. I haven't had a chance to give it back to her since."

Stu looked down at her, and for a second, his eyebrows quirked with suspicion. She did her best to smile reassuringly, like she was keeping absolutely nothing from him, but of course that couldn't have been further from the truth.

"Alright then, do you want me to put it in the back of the car for you?" Lara had to smile at his gentlemanly gesture.

"No, I'll just have it on my lap." She let out a nervous laugh, covering it up with a cough in the hope that Stu wouldn't catch on. He gave her another look as she slipped on her Jimmy Choo suede pumps and stood upright. The five inch heel made her closer to his height. "Right, how do I look?"

"Gorgeous," he took her free hand and kissed her quickly on the lips, "As always."

"I think you both look lovely," Lara's mother, Iris, beamed as she watched her daughter and son-in-law together. She leaned closer to Lara, lowering her voice slightly. "And you need to let your hair down; you've been sounding pretty stressed recently."

Lara scoffed and let out another laugh when she saw the concerned look on Stu's face. She glanced between his face and her mother's, and waved them off. "No, I haven't. I'm fine."

"Uh huh..." Iris didn't seem convinced. She gently prised Charlie's little hands away from her neck, stopping him from pulling at her necklace. "Are you going to give mommy and daddy a kiss before they go, sweetie?"

"Be good for your grandma," Stu smiled, brushing his thin lips against his son's cheek before ruffling his hair. The sound of his laughter was music to all of their ears.

"Night, baby," Lara cooed, following the same routine as her husband. She turned to her mother, a pleading look in her dark eyes. "Remember, if you need anything, mom-"

"Just go!" Iris laughed, gesturing to Stu to get her out of the house before she clung onto Charlie for dear life. He nodded, escorting her out to the car and driving off to the Mercer household.

* * *

><p>"Are those new earrings?" Lara asked, the sparkle of the pink diamonds catching her eye.<p>

"Yeah, Ste got me them today," Anna reached up to her ear, gently touching the diamond solitaire. "To replace the ones I lost."

"Are you kidding me?" Lara was shocked, not that Stephen had bought Anna new earrings, but that he actually believed her.

"I know, maybe I should lie more." She happened to catch sight of Stephen through the mass of people in the room at that moment, immediately regretting her words.

"No Anna! It's not funny!" Alex scolded, figuring that if one of them was going to get them into trouble, it was going to be the blonde.

"Alright, I'm sorry."

"Maybe we've taken this too far." Lara sighed; just knowing she had the case file with her was making her feel nauseous.

"I don't think we've taken this far enough."

"And I don't think talking about this right now is appropriate." Both Lara and Anna looked at Alex. Having to see Phil almost every day couldn't have been easy on her, not now knowing something was going on with him.

"You're right, we'll meet later; just say where and when."

Anna took a sip from her glass, needing more and more of the champagne that seeming to be from a never ending supply. Feeling like they needed to lighten this up a bit, she gently nudged Lara in the side, getting her attention and pulling her out of the conversation she was having with Alex.

"What?" She frowned having being elbowed in the side.

"Alex won the bet." The blonde nodded to where she had been looking. Cody Runnels had just arrived at the party; his newest girlfriend hanging off his arm like her life depended on it.

"I told you that bimbo wouldn't stick." Alex grinned, happy knowing she was owed a couple hundred dollars. It was now tradition for them to bet whether Cody would stick or ditch the girl he brought to the parties.

"Okay, one hundred says he sticks with this one." Anna downed the rest of her champagne, needing another glass already.

"Why would you possibly think that?" Lara shook her head, obviously going to bet that he would ditch the poor woman after the party.

"She's a brunette," Anna grinned at her own logic. "He always picks blondes."

"One hundred he ditches her." Alex moved a little so she could get a better look at the woman.

"Me too," Lara agreed with Alex, no guilt that she would be taking Anna's money.

"Alright then," the three girls clinked their glasses together, sharing a giggle. "And I need more alcohol; do either of you want anything?"

"No, but take it easy." Anna smiled at Lara, more than ready to fill up her champagne glass. She manoeuvred her way through people conversing, finding her way to the one man she had her eyes set on. She set her glass down, on her way, mentally reminding herself to pick up another glass soon.

Seeing Stephen deep in conversation with Tommy, she wondered what they were talking about. She also wondered whether she should interrupt or not. Maybe they were talking about Phil.

"Hey," Anna slipped her hand onto Stephen's back, stopping him mid-sentence. "I'm not interrupting, am I?"

"Not at all," the Irishman smiled at his wife, wrapping an arm around her back.

"How are you, Tommy?" She asked, now wondering if Stephen had in fact mentioned anything to Tommy about Phil being a sleaze.

"Very good."

"Sorry, I need to steal your husband for a bit. But here you go," Stu appeared next to Anna, handing her a glass of champagne, replacing the one she had greedily drank not that long ago.

Anna looked up at Stephen, wondering if she would be able to spend any time with him at the party; she figured not though. "Okay, come and find me when you're done." She quickly kissed him on the lips before he left her side with Stu and Tommy.

* * *

><p>Lara and Alex looked on as Anna stalked away from them, turning heads as she walked past people milling about the Mercer home. The two friends turned to look at each other when the blonde walked right up to the table of beverages, quite impressed that the blonde didn't once sway or teeter on her high heels along the way.<p>

"Which one of us will be in charge of keeping count of how many glasses she has?" Lara asked. "You should know how she is. She's got a big mouth and it gets even bigger when she's drunk."

"There's a lot of food," Alex said flatly, "We can just shove some in if she starts babbling."

Lara turned an amused stare towards her, waiting for the nonchalance to drop from her stance. One quick glance was all it took for the two of them to break into laughter, catching the attention of a few people.

"What's so funny, ladies?"

Lara let out a shriek at the interruption, not expecting the owner of the voice to be so close to her, spilling a few drops of her red wine down the front of Alex's white dress. "Oh god, I'm so sorry," she said, putting down her glass before turning on her heel to face the new arrival. "Ted! Don't ever do that again!"

The tall blonde offered a sheepish smile and an apology in return, not at all intending to shock the two girls. "Sorry," he muttered, "Tommy and Stu are boring holes into my head, I can feel it."

"Don't worry about it, honey," Alex said, smiling softly at him. "I better go and change," she continued, looking down at her dress. "If this stains, you're buying me a new dress, Ted."

"I'll hand over some money to your husband," he replied good-naturedly. "Go ahead, I can keep this one company," throwing an arm around Lara's shoulders.

"Actually, why don't I go and help you?" She offered. "You can go pick out a new dress while I work on getting the wine out. Why are you even wearing a white dress at a cocktail party with a lot of clumsy guys and a nearly-drunk Anna running around?"

"Why must you girls do everything in groups?" Ted asked, "And hey!"

The two friends only snickered in reply before leaving him, Lara making sure to grab the coat she had left on one of the corner chairs, biting on her lip when she noticed Alex's curious glance. "Trust me," she said, dragging her friend towards the staircase. "You're going to want to see this."

Alex could only nod in return as they quietly made their way towards her and Tommy's bedroom. Once they had made sure that the door was firmly shut behind them, Alex stepped into the walk-in closet, peeling off the white one-sleeved Halston Heritage dress, and tossing it out to Lara, hoping that the stain could be washed out.

"Pick out a black dress, would you?" She suggested, making her way towards the bathroom to run the dress under water. "It would be a shame if you end up ruining another dress in one night."

Alex didn't hesitate in taking the advice, pulling out a black Scala dress with a beaded single shoulder strap and sheer overlay to change into, thankful that her shoes still matched with the change of clothes. Walking back out into the main room, she spotted the coat that Lara had brought back sitting on top of the bed. She went to pick it up to hang in the closet, only for a file to slip from between its folds, its contents spilling out onto the floor. Pictures and documents, much like the images captured on Anna's phone, now stared up at her. Sending a quick glance towards the bathroom door, she shook her head, now realizing why Lara was so keen on keeping an eye on her coat.

She heaved a sigh as she bent down to pick up the papers, her thoughts clouded with confusion as to why the files even existed, wondering what trouble was brewing between their husbands and her boss. She was jarred out of her thoughts when she heard raucous laughter from outside. Curious, she quietly walked out to the balcony, slightly peering over the rail to see Tommy, Stephen, Stu and Ted smoking a few cigars out in the garden.

"Did yeh find out anything new?" She heard Stephen ask.

"He's definitely meeting with them more often," Ted replied, "I rarely get pictures of them together but he's been a frequent visitor to a lot of the bars Del Rio has stakes in. I haven't managed to crack anyone just yet but I'm working on it. Whatever it is they're meeting for, this could get ugly really fast."

"Do me a favour, will you?" Tommy asked, his voice sullen, "Keep an eye on Alex. Make sure nothing happens to her."

"You need to get her out of there," Stu urged. "I know you want to let her be her own person but this is too dangerous of a matter for your wife to be stuck in the middle of."

"And what am I going to tell her? You know her just as well as I do. She's not going to buy into becoming a stay at home wife like Lara. She doesn't have a family business to run like Anna. If I tell her to quit, she's just going to ask a lot of questions that I doubt any of us are ready to answer."

"Of all the girls that threw themselves at yeh," Stephen said with a sardonic chuckle, slapping a huge palm against Tommy's shoulder. "Yeh had to marry the girl who worked fer Philip Brooks."

Alex clamped a hand over her mouth, hoping that the gasp that had left her lungs hadn't floated down to their ears. If she had been uncertain of who they were talking about before, she wasn't now.

"What are you doing out –"

Alex pressed finger to her lips, signalling for Lara to keep quiet, before silently stalking back into the master bedroom. Wide-eyed, she took a ragged breath in, "We really need to talk about those files."

Lara glanced back towards the balcony, hearing the muffled voices travelling to her ears; she realised that her friend may have heard yet another piece to the puzzle they were trying to solve. "Let's head back down. They might become suspicious that we've been up here for so long. We need to talk to Anna too."

Alex clutched the file back in her hand, walking back into the closet to shove it into one of her shoe boxes that she knew Tommy wouldn't be caught checking into. Taking a calming breath, she took Lara's hand, walked back down to the main level of the house and back to mingling with their guests.

The small gathering had gone on for a few short hours, and before long, found the three women saying goodbye to not only the guests but their husbands as well.

"Where are you off to?" Alex asked, watching as Tommy spun his car keys around his finger.

"We're just going to shoot a few rounds at the range. Anna said we could as long as we lock up behind us and not touch any of the displays," he replied.

"You lot could come if you want," Stu said, glancing between Alex and his wife.

Lara chuckled before shaking her head to decline. "You want the three of us there? In Anna's state, we'd all be lucky if we leave with holes shot into each wall of that place and not in our chests."

"Hey!" The blonde exclaimed, raising her head from where she was leaned against Stephen's shoulder. "I'm not that drunk."

"How many have yeh get to drink, lass?" Her husband asked, his tone amused.

"She's had seven," Lara piped in. "And that's not counting any she could have had when I was helping Alex with her dress."

"We'll just stay here," Alex said. "Just have a night in while you do your thing. Maybe we can get to know Cody's date, Kim was it?"

"You wish," Tommy said, smirking. "He's ducked out because he said he's going to get some tonight."

"I really didn't need to know that," Lara groaned. "Go ahead, guys. Just don't take too long, Stu. I don't want to keep my mom waiting for any longer than she has to. And don't worry about Anna," she said, turning towards Stephen. "We've got a few things that will keep her occupied."

* * *

><p>"Put that down, Anna. I think you've had enough for one night."<p>

The blonde scowled at Lara, and slumped down in the armchair near the coffee table. When all the remaining guests had left, Alex had returned with all the files and photographs the three of them had gathered from the past few days. She sprawled them out on the coffee table, before inviting her friends to congregate around it to further inspect their findings. Lara picked up Anna's half-full glass of champagne, effectively banning her from drinking another drop.

"You're such a mother."

"Well, yeah," Lara laughed, "Because I actually am a mom."

"But you're not _my_ mom, are you?"

Alex rolled her eyes at her friends' bickering. She cleared her throat and pointed a finger to the table, wanting to quickly go over everything; she wasn't sure exactly when the guys would come back from the shooting range.

"Whatever, guys, cool it for a moment. We've got things to discuss."

"Yeah, take a look at these," Lara pulled at the file she had taken from Stu's desk drawer, handing the bulk of it Anna. Alex snooped over her shoulder, wanting to get a better look after initially speedily inspecting it in her bedroom.

"This is what you found in Stu's office?"

"They both look pretty suspicious, don't you think?"

"And get this," Alex continued, wanting to fill the blonde in on everything. "When Lara and I were upstairs earlier we overheard the guys talking to Ted. He's been snooping around for them."

"I bet he took these." Anna mused, eyes fixed on the photographs.

"Probably," she agreed, knowing that what she was going to say was important for them all to know. "Anyway, he says that Phil's been visiting a guy called Del Rio a lot, and the guys didn't sound happy about that. Plus, he mentioned that this whole thing they have going is going to get ugly really fast. They don't want me working at Brooks Shipping anymore."

"But you could dig up so much more dirt!" Anna squeaked out, a hiccup soon following.

"Yeah, or she could get herself killed," Lara argued, taking another look at the phone photo of the documents on Stephen's desk. "We don't know the nature of their dealings with Phil or his dealings with Del Rio. If the guys are worried then it must be really bad."

Anna bit the inside of her cheek as her tipsy mind tried to make sense of it all. "Let me see the file again."

"There's a log book of where Phil's been over the past few months in there too. It sounds like Ted is providing us with good information." Lara revealed, sliding a clean long nail down the paper and tapping it against certain entries, "Look, Del Rio's string of bars is logged over forty times."

Alex sat back down on the couch, her arms crossed over her chest, "I wonder what the deal is with this Del Rio guy."

"I think I can enlighten you on that one." Both pairs of eyes were now trained on Stu's wife. She could feel their gazes on her but she did her best to avoid eye contact.

"You can?"

Anna exchanged a concerned look with Alex, the latter noticing Lara's expression alter from calm and alert to despondent. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just," she paused, swallowing hard. Thinking about the past was difficult for her to grasp without wanting to punch someone square in the face. She massaged her temples, trying to muster up enough courage to share what she knew with her close friends. "I was so stupid. I had no idea of the world I was getting myself into."

"What are you talking about, Lara?"

The woman in question sighed deeply. She finally met their eyes, noting the concern in them.

"When I was younger my family were fairly close with Del Rio's family; we lived in the same neighbourhood, our fathers actually worked for the same company for a while. Anyway, he had this strange infatuation with me; I can't really explain it, but your ordeal with Phil just brought it all back to me. He was just a massive creep. Add that to the fact he was a very dangerous man, and yeah, it's not the best situation for anyone. Then when I met Stu he tried everything to keep us apart due to his own jealousy. He even tried to kidnap me, because he thought that if he couldn't have me then no one else was going to either. Stu ended up saving me from him." She licked over her dry lips, watching as her two friends joined her where she sat on the floor, comforting arms slung around her shoulders. Lara carried on, tears forming in her eyes. "Del Rio's a horrible man. He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants, which is why Stu tries so hard to protect Charlie and myself from this type of bullshit. I thought their scrap was over, but apparently not."

"Whoa," Anna said, leaning her back against the chair for support. Lara breathed a sigh of relief. "That's a lot to take in."

"So who's the guy in these photos with Phil?" Alex asked, nodding towards the file on the coffee table. Lara picked it up, beginning to place everything back in the folder as she began to explain.

"That's Ricardo Rodriguez," she pointed to the top photograph, Ricardo's face completely clear and easy to make out on the grainy paper. "He's like Del Rio's lost Chihuahua. The guy is only kept around because no one suspects him. He's a coward, completely vanilla compared to the others; I bet even we could crack him if we ever needed to."

"This is not good." Alex shook her head, grabbing everything else from the table and shoving it under the couch. Anna pressed a hand to her forehead, her head swimming with new information.

"I need another drink."

"No, you don't," Lara grabbed her glass of champagne out of her grip and downed the contents. "I overheard something when I was in Stu's office as well."

"What?"

"I'm not sure who Stu was talking to but he seemed pretty friendly with them. He said something about needing to get Phil on their side, and if they couldn't do that then they would just have to kill him. I couldn't tell whether he was being serious or not."

"You can never tell with that guy." Anna laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but to no avail. Alex narrowed her eyes and shook her head. All these lies and sneaky actions were beginning to take their toll; this was the kind of thing that made her question whether she really knew her husband at all.

"You can't tell with any of them."

"All things considered, I wouldn't put it past him to kill someone either."

An uncomfortable silence fell between the friends, each of them attempting to process the conglomeration of information which was now hiding under Alex's couch. She made a mental note to move it somewhere later when Tommy was in a deep sleep. They all sighed, downing a shot of vodka each. Anna leaned her head back and toyed with the rim of her glass. She couldn't let the silence go on for much longer. Lara and Alex curiously stared her way as she cleared her throat.

"...So what do we do now?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you boston246, shakeitsalome, xj0j0x, ThatGirl54 and Blackhat for the awesome reviews :D so glad you guys love the story so far! Katie, Mox and Lou x**


	6. Catch Me If You Can

_**Catch Me If You Can**_

Alex squinted at the harsh light of the morning sun seeping through the small part between the curtains, effectively pulling her out of her slumber. Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she let out a groan as a wave of nausea washed over her, taking a mental note to avoid drinking any wine with Anna, especially when she had so much going on in her mind.

After talking about what more they managed to find out and piecing together more pieces of the puzzle as to what their husbands were caught in with Phil, she had wanted to drown her worries away of having to face Tommy and keep on wondering what was going on without revealing what she and the girls have been up to, and having to face her boss for days on end without wondering if her life could be in any sort of danger by being around him. Foolishly thinking that consuming enough alcohol to the point of passing out in sleep was a better option than possibly acting weird in front of her husband when he came back home, Alex had downed glass after glass of wine, with Lara and Anna helplessly looking on.

Casting a quick glance to the other side of the bed and finding empty space, Alex heaved a sigh, thinking that she might as well start getting ready to go to work and hope that she didn't have to see Phil for longer than she found necessary. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she trudged her way into the bathroom, hoping that a shower could wake her up and make her feel better.

Alex tightly knotted the ties of her robe around her waist as she made her way over to the walk-in closet, shaking her head as she eyed the shoebox that once again contained the files on Phil. She busied herself with thumbing through the racks of clothing, trying to find an appropriate outfit for work when a shadow cast itself on the room. Turning her head towards the door, she found Tommy casually leant up against the entryway, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as he eyed her shapely legs.

"Good morning," she greeted softly before going back to picking out clothes. Just as she was about to pull out pieces for her outfit of choice, she found herself engulfed in his strong embrace, his warmth taking over all of her senses. "What are you doing?"

"Don't go to work today," he said simply, nuzzling his head against the side of her neck. "I don't have to be anywhere until tonight. We can just stay in and do whatever we want."

"As tempting as that sounds," she started. "I can't. I have a lot of work to do with the financial quarter coming to a close. I can't afford to slack off even just for a day."

"Phil's making you work that hard, huh?"

Alex could only be so grateful that Tommy's hands had been running all over her, easily masking her gasp of surprise at her boss' name falling from his lips as a response to his touch, his fingers deftly unravelling the knot of her robe to palm at her bare stomach. Parting the two halves, he pulled the terry cloth off her shoulders, stifling a groan as she was left in nothing but a matching set of black lace Victoria's Secret bra and panties. With his hands on her hips, he guided her to turn around and face him, quickly claiming her mouth in a fierce kiss, stealing her breath away.

She gripped onto his muscled arms for support, her body melting into his as his tongue delved between her lips, gathering her taste into his mouth. Tommy's roaming hands travelled up her back but she was quick to take hold of his wrists, stopping him from pulling her hair from its loose up-do.

"I can't," she mumbled against his lips, "As tempting as all this is, I'm going to end up late if you don't let me get dressed now."

"You sure?"

"Yes," she said, giggling as he playfully wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "Now get out."

"Why? It's not like I haven't seen it all before," he quipped. "Though I like watching you take off clothes rather than putting them on."

Alex said nothing in response; instead, she turned to her racks of clothes once again, picking out a pair of black Diane von Furstenberg Beatuck trousers with a modest boot cut, and a classic long-sleeved white button-down dress shirt from Banana Republic. She held out the garments for Tommy to take, playfully sticking out her tongue when he stared at her blankly but took hold of them nonetheless, before searching for a simple pair of black pumps and a double wrap metallic leather belt to finish off her look. Stepping out of the closet and into the main room, she laid out her clothing and started getting dressed while he sat on the edge of the bed to watch her.

"How's work going for you?" He asked after a few moments.

"I already told you," she said with a sigh. "Busy. It's always just at these particular times of the year though. I'm sure I'll be back to going crazy over Angry Birds once it passes. Then it's lather, rinse, repeat when another financial quarter nears an end. Hmm," she mused. "Maybe I should work on my time management skills."

"Do you think you'll be able to get some time off soon?"

Alex paused for a split second, surprised that not even the smallest of chuckles came from him when she had cracked a joke, then curious as to why he was asking so many questions about work. The look on her face must have given her thoughts away as Tommy quickly rushed into explaining that maybe they could take a trip, just the two of them, raising even more suspicion from her. Most wives would have been ecstatic at hearing such a suggestion from their husbands, but after what she, Anna and Lara have been uncovering, she wasn't sure what to feel.

"I could, could you?" Alex asked with one raised brow, hoping that she was able to mask her worries by turning the question on him. "What's with all the questions? You've never taken this much interest with my job before."

"Is it wrong to ask about what my wife is doing?" Tommy fired back, his tone defensive.

"Funny you should say that," she muttered under her breath, quickly regretting the words leaving her mouth when she saw the flash of anger in his eyes. "Look," she said, taking a deep breath. "I don't want to argue over whatever this is. I'm gonna be late anyway. I'll try to get off work early to maybe grab an early dinner with you before you have to go elsewhere."

Alex made the short distance to where he sat, leaning down just a tad to be able to place a quick peck to his cheek, only to be pulled into a firm kiss. "I love you," Tommy said when they parted. "Be safe."

* * *

><p>Anna had been staring at the screen in front of her for the past two minutes, replaying the same section of tape over and over again. It was almost 8am and although she was feeling a little hung over after the cocktail party, her mind was on anything but the thumping headache that had persisted since she had woken.<p>

She watched the interaction between Stu and Stephen once more; Stephen picking up a gun, inspecting it before handing it to Stu who put it into the waistband of his dress pants, shielded by the back of his jacket. The quality wasn't all that good, and of course there was no sound, but she knew what she had seen and couldn't offer any explanation to it.

Quickly taking the tape out of the player, she shoved it into her purse. "Stephen kicked you out?" Anna jumped, hearing Jimmy behind her.

"Of course not," she rolled her eyes, standing up and grabbing hold of her jacket.

"You're never here this early, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to stop by before I get some breakfast," Anna smiled as Jimmy shrugged his coat off and put the coffee on. "Can you check everything and make sure there aren't any guns missing?"

"Why would there be any missing?" Jimmy folded his arms against his chest, a glint behind his eyes.

"Please?" She knew he couldn't say no; he never could.

"Alright."

Anna slipped her coat on and kissed Jimmy on the cheek. "Thank you, I'll be back later."

Slipping her coat on and pulling her phone from her bag, Anna called up Lara, knowing she would already be awake. "Hey, I need you to meet me by the Lincoln Memorial as soon as possible."

Thankful that Lara had agreed to meet her so early; Anna got back into her car and made her way back up town towards Lincoln Park. As soon as she found a bench, she sat down and waited for her friend to arrive.

Tapping her foot impatiently against the concrete, she sighed. She was cold and hungry, and on top of that, Lara was twenty minutes late. Lincoln Park was beautiful, even as the winter months approached, but that didn't change the fact it was bitterly cold. Anna checked her phone once more and there were still no missed calls. Looking up she caught sight of a woman walking towards her pushing a buggy. Both the woman and the child in the buggy were wearing sunglasses, unusual for an overcast day.

"You have got to be kidding me." Anna mumbled under her breath, now realising it was Lara with Charlie. "What the hell are those?" She pointed at the little boy sitting comfortably in his buggy once her friend got close.

"Didn't you know they make Ray-Bans for toddlers?"

"No, take them off. They look stupid." Anna leant over, well prepared to take the sunglasses off Lara's son. She didn't account for him slapping her hand away, a fit of giggles following his actions. Her eyes were wide with shock, "He just hit me!"

"Well he likes them." Lara grinned, playfully ruffling up Charlie's hair.

"Then take yours off, I told you to be inconspicuous." Lara sighed and took her sunglasses off, putting them into her handbag.

"What's so important anyway?" Both women sat down on the bench, ready to start gossiping once more.

"Ste gave a gun to Stu last night; it was one of the ones from the range."

"Why would he do that?" Lara glanced down at her son. Before Charlie was born, she wasn't opposed to Stu having weapons. But now they had a child, she was a little more cautious. He loved to explore, and if he got his hands on anything he shouldn't, well, she didn't want to even think that far.

"I don't know," Anna was still confused, unsure why Stephen would even contemplate doing such a thing. "I'm just going to ask him."

"Are you crazy?"

"I want to know why he's taken it and if it's going to put the range in jeopardy."

"Just be careful, and don't let anything slip about you-know-what." Lara warned, concerned that if the guys were going to find out, it would be Anna's fault.

"I won't," she smiled, grateful that she had been able to talk to Lara face-to-face. "Now how about we go and get some breakfast? I feel like drowning myself in maple syrup."

"That's a good idea. I need some energy so I can finish this latest article." Lara stood up, followed by Anna who smiled, feeling immensely proud of her friends' success.

Whilst making their way back to the cars, the sun peaked out from the clouds. So the sunglasses weren't a waste of time after all.

"My treat."

"Don't you mean Stephen's treat?" Anna couldn't help but laugh along with Lara.

She grinned, knowing whose name was on the prized credit card in her purse. "I guess you're right."

* * *

><p>Alex furrowed her brows as she listened to Anna's frustrated voice coming through the phone line. She was being told about what the blonde had seen on the CCTV footage of the shooting range her family owned, firing question after question as to why Stephen would need to take one of her brand new guns when she was sure he had hundreds of his own to choose from lying around somewhere. She was even more curious as to why he had handed the gun over to Stu when the Brit was sure to have his own armoury as well.<p>

"Anna," she said, finally able to get a word in. "I really don't know what to tell you, and I can't really talk. I'm just about to go into my building. Someone can hear. I'll call you later."

After figuring out that it was likely Ted DiBiase who had taken the surveillance pictures of Phil, and hearing Tommy tell the younger man to keep an eye out for her, Alex didn't want to take any chances of blowing their cover of knowing more than they should. If she really was in the middle of danger, it would be best to not talk about anything unless she was comfortable with her surroundings.

Stepping out of the elevator onto her floor, Alex nearly ended up colliding with a distraught Melissa. The brunette was fixing to ask what was wrong but decided against it when she received a cold glare and an upturned nose instead. She silently watched as the secretary walked straight into the elevator, carrying what looked like a box of her personal items.

"Alexandra!"

She squeezed her eyes shut when she heard her full name being used, plastering a strained smile on her face as she turned to face her boss. "Good morning sir. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well, not right now," Phil said, sending her a wink. "But I'd like you to meet our new employee."

It was only when he mentioned a new employee that Alex noticed the petite redhead standing beside him. She extended her hand in welcome, introducing herself in the process. "Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm Alexandra Kincaid, but please, call me Alex."

"Karen McAllister," she replied. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

* * *

><p>Stopping outside Stephen's office, Anna couldn't hear anything but the sound of her heart beating hard against her chest. Her breathing faltered, even when she tried to take steady breaths. She knew she had no choice but to say something to her husband, and as she pushed her ear against the door she could hear him on the phone. Her hand lingered over the door handle, wondering whether she should wait until he had finished on the phone or not. She shook those thoughts, knowing if she didn't go in now, she never would.<p>

As soon as she opened the door, she felt everything she had planned to say fly out of her mind. Stephen had rendered her speechless, and for once that wasn't a good thing. He looked up from his desk, eyebrows furrowed in confusion; she would never usually walk in on him when he was on the phone. Anna would usually knock on the door, only to be shouted at to come back later. Stephen pointed at the phone, his voice becoming quiet to mask what he was saying.

She didn't take the hint; instead she slammed the door behind her, the bang of the door shutting echoing through the room. Anna watched Stephen's face turn from confused to irritated in a split second, but that didn't deter her from walking straight up to his desk, eyes boring into his.

"Ah'll call yeh back," Anna heard Stephen speak into the phone, clearly agitated. He dropped the device on the table and waited, speaking up when she remained silent. "This must be important."

"Last right at the shooting range, what did you do?"

Stephen laughed, but she was well aware that it was at her expense. "Anna, is this a joke? Ah have stuff-"

"No!"Anna almost yelled, surprising herself. She took a step back when he stood up from his desk. "There's a gun missing, and you were there last night."

"So yer saying Ah took it?" Stephen moved around the desk, edging closer and closer to his wife.

"You gave it to Stu." Anna was expecting him to falter but that didn't happen.

He stopped in front of her, all two hundred and seventy pounds of solid muscle. "And how do yeh know this sweetheart?"

"CCTV," Stephen's face dropped and Anna couldn't help but smirk a little. He hadn't expected her to notice; in fact, he probably thought she did nothing at the range but sit on the computer in the back and shop.

"Now yer spying on me?"

"If something goes missing, I'm going to check."

"So first yeh start lying to me, now yeh sneaking around?" Anna shook her head, knowing she had done enough. Stephen was mad and she would only make it worse. Turning around, she made a hasty walk towards the door. As soon as her hand gripped around the handle, Stephen's hand was against the door, keeping it shut.

She turned around and he was inches away from her. "Ah'm interested in what yer goin' to do now?" Stephen ducked his head down so he could speak quietly against her ear. "But let me guess, yeh haven't thought that far forward."

Anna glanced up at Stephen, her breathing harsh and ragged as she tried to keep up with her rapidly beating heart. A million things were running through her head, but they were soon a jumbled mess when he slipped his hand to her face, gently dragging his thumb against her bottom lip.

Before she knew it, she was being pulled towards him. Her hands gripped tightly onto his arms, stopping herself from collapsing into a puddle on the floor. Stephen's other arm moved around her back, keeping her flush against his hard body so she couldn't escape. His lips were fast on hers, soft at first but soon growing with need and passion. Anna gave back as much as she got, her arms slipping around his neck, balancing herself on her tip toes so she could get closer to him. She moaned as Stephen bit onto her bottom lip then gently kissed where his teeth had sunk into her. Forgetting everything that had just happened, he gripped the back of her thighs, making her wrap her legs around his waist before slamming her against the wooden door.

The tension between them quickly flared into passion; a raw carnal passion that neither of them could escape. Anna had quickly forgotten what she was even talking to Stephen about. Her senses were in overdrive, all because of her husband and his lips now making their way down the side of her neck. She should have known better than to get involved in Stephen's business; at the end of the day he still had full control of everything, including her emotions.

* * *

><p>"Wait a minute; let me get your out of your coat before you go running off," Lara gently grabbed Charlie just as he was about to hotfoot it into the living room. She unzipped his jacket and pulled it off him, brushing it down and placing it back on the hook in the front porch.<p>

"Fuck!" She lifted her head upon hearing her husband curse loudly, and winced when she heard an almighty crash follow. Someone had clearly gotten out of the wrong side of the bed. She rushed to the source of the noise, finding his office door wide open with every piece of furniture upturned.

"What's going on in here?" Lara asked, watching as Stu rifled through several stacks of papers, just throwing them carelessly around the room, "Stu, what are you doing?" He stopped briefly to look at her, a stern expression on his features. She narrowed her eyes as he raised his forefinger, shunning her off.

"Lara, don't. I'm not in the mood."

"Have you gone mad? Look at this place!"

"I've lost something, alright?" He snapped, his temper once again getting the better of him. His hand reached up to rub over his face in an attempt to calm himself down, "Something very, _very_ important."

At this point, Lara leaned casually against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest. Her husband had been even more on edge recently, and she could tell that part of it was her own doing.

"What is it?" She asked, only to be met with a disapproving shake of the head. Stu shoved a bunch of books off the shelf in anger, his fist swiftly connecting with the wall behind it. Finally, he turned to her, instantly changing his tone.

"You won't know where it is so there's no point."

"I'm just trying to help. I can see how frustrated you are."

"Oh, you noticed that, huh?" He questioned condescendingly. Lara sighed, and he found himself amending his frame of mind, "I'm sorry," he apologised, stepping into the centre of the room to take a quick scan of the damage. After taking a much needed deep breath, he explained with a softer manner, "It's a file. I desperately need it for a work meeting later."

"Well, what does it look like?"

"It's a thick brown folder, and it has the word 'confidential' marked on the front of it," he turned his back to her as he went through his desk drawers for the fifth time. Lara was glad he hadn't been watching out for her reaction, because he would've seen the guilt wash over her face. Her eyes widened as soon as he had described what he was looking for; the file. The file which she had taken and was now in Alex's possession. She stood upright when he slammed the top drawer shut in irritation, "You haven't seen it anywhere, have you?"

"No," she lied, beginning to feel sick at her now-frequent lies to the man she was supposed to keep nothing from.

"Are you sure?" He probed, "You haven't moved it while you were cleaning the house or anything like that?"

_Maybe I could get the file back from Alex and drop it off for Stu later_, she thought. Her mind was completely elsewhere, wanting to cover her tracks. She didn't even notice the hint of scepticism which had settled on his features.

Lara pursed her lips as he moved closer to her, bracing his large hands on her shoulders. It seemed like he was trying to intimidate her with his size; something which he didn't need to do at all. His cheeks were flushed with anger; if she lied for now then he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"I don't think so. I haven't been in here to clean recently, although it's now top of my priorities list after you seemed to have let a bomb off."

He studied her for a moment, searching for an ounce of truth in her words. Maybe he was acting crazy; there was no need for him to take anything out on her. He wasn't like that anyway. She swallowed hard, feeling herself grow hot under his intense stare. A hint of a smile crept onto his lips, before his expression turned stoic. He pushed his hands off her arms and mumbled to no one in particular, "Then where the fuck is it?"

"Have you looked everywhere? Maybe it's in the living room," she suggested; hearing him scoff in response ended up just agitating her even more.

"No, it's not in the living room. Why the hell would I put it there?" He argued, dramatically flinging his arms in the air. Lara let out a breath, knowing that, for now, his anger was completely misdirected.

"I don't know! Go check!"

"Fine," Stu stomped into the living room, full of attitude, with Lara hot on his tail. He began checking through the bookshelf, just in case the folder was between the various novels and biographies. She went from acknowledging her husband's thoughtless manner to taking note of Charlie. A shriek escaped her lips, causing Stu to stop what he was doing.

"Charlie! No, put that down!" She yelled, hurrying over to the coffee table and grabbing the gun he had a firm grip of. He stared up at her, his eyes wide and glassy at being scolded. Lara swallowed hard, turning to her husband, her jaw slackening. "What is this doing in here?" Stu's demeanour didn't change one bit. He decided it would be best to go into defensive mode.

"Would you calm down? It's not like it's loaded with bullets!" _Yet_, he thought. It was Lara's turn to scoff, the rage quickly building up inside her at her husband's idiotic behaviour.

"That's not the point, Stu! I've told you time and time again that I don't want to see guns in the house!" She paused her words, crouching down to Charlie's level and pulling his grabby hands away from the weapon, adopting a softer tone so as not to frighten him. "Sweetie, that's not a toy, okay? You're not to play with that. Why don't you go and play with your trucks in the playroom, hmm?"

Stu waited until the toddler had run off down the hallway to try and reason with his wife. He stepped closer to her, his arms folded over his broad chest.

"You're overreacting."

"No, I'm _under_ reacting. What if that thing was loaded? What if Charlie managed to pull that trigger? What the fuck is wrong with you?" She wasn't letting up. Stu needed to know how much she disapproved of having guns in the house and around their son. He grunted, feeling his temper slide once more.

"I left it there after we got home last night. It slipped my mind to move it, for fuck sake." Lara's mouth was agape when he revealed he had a weapon on him the night of the party; she had no idea. She presumed he had taken it from the shooting range, considering the distinguishable serial number engraved on the handle, but why he had taken it, she had no idea.

"Well that slip of your mind could've cost someone their life," she chastised, trying to make him feel incredibly guilty for his misjudgement. "I can't even look at you right now. Perhaps you should go for a walk, you know, clear your head."

"Lara, I don't need to-"

"Just get out!" She shouted, completely losing her cool. Her eyes refused to meet his as she jammed the barrel of the gun into his chest, waiting for him to take it out of her shaky grasp. "And take this piece of shit with you. I don't want to see it again."

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you xj0j0x, ThatGirl54 and Blackhat for the great reviews, and to everyone else who has read the story so far :) Lou, Katie and Mox **


	7. Hidden Gems

**_Hidden Gems_**

After putting up a fight with his disgruntled wife, Stu finally decided it was best to leave the house before everything kicked off even more. Lara had pushed him numerous times towards the front door in frustration, surprising herself with her own physical strength. When the door slammed behind him, he glanced down at the gun gripped tightly in his large hand. He cursed himself for acting like such an idiot; he shouldn't have brought it into the house at all. That was part of the reason they had a garage; it was easier to hide weapons in a part of the house which Lara would never go to.

Stu slumped down onto the bench on the front porch. It was getting dark, and cold; he didn't even have time to grab a jacket before she shoved him out of the house. He sighed, placing the gun next to him and fishing in his pocket for his phone. It was pretty obvious that he would need a place to stay for the night. Surely Tommy would let him stay over. He quickly searched through his contacts for the desired number and waited for the ringing to stop.

"_Hello?"_ Came the deep voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey Tommy, it's Stu," he answered, standing up from the bench with the phone pressed against his ear.

"_Oh, hey man,"_ he didn't sound happy to hear from the Englishman. _"What's up?"_

"I've kind of had a thing with Lara. She, er, she just kicked me out."

Silence. Stunned silence, maybe? Everyone knew that Lara was the last person to get angry in any given situation.

"_Wow, must've been something serious to get her so angry."_

"I'm just an idiot." He sighed, running a hand over his face.

"_Well we all knew that..."_

"That's nice of you, mate. Look, could I maybe crash at yours tonight?"

"_Oh,"_ Tommy's tone did not sound promising._ "Not that I don't want you here, it's just I've got a night planned in with Alex and-"_

"You want to be alone," he finished for his friend, his frustration still evident. This really had not been a good day for him. "Yeah, it's fine. I'll find somewhere else to stay."

"_Sorry man. Any other time though, yeah?"_

Stu hung up without uttering so much as a goodbye. He'd had enough. In the back of his mind there was a nagging feeling that something about his wife's recent behaviour was not normal; not to mention the strange stiffness he had picked up on when he had approached her about the lost file. _Of course she hasn't taken it_; he tried to defend her from his seemingly crazy thoughts. It couldn't have been a prank that had gone too far. Lara just wasn't like that.

He took that precise moment to turn back to the house, spotting his wife in the window. For once, her face was completely unreadable. Stu couldn't smile at her for fear that she would think that this was all a big joke to him. It clearly wasn't, and he was well aware of that fact. His body shivered from the gust of wind that had rustled the trees, creeping its way to the folds of his dress shirt as he stood staring at her. He watched her swallow hard and close the blinds, a tear slipping down her cheek as she did so. Stu picked up the gun from the bench, turned away from the house, and let out a deep sigh.

"Fuck this," he mumbled, pulling out his keys and getting into his car. There was a certain Irishman he needed to pay a visit to.

* * *

><p>Anna groaned and pushed her head further into Stephen's chest, hoping that the incessant ringing would stop. Feeling his arms tighten around her, Anna groaned, not wanting the warmth of his body to leave her. The crackling of the fire was the only other sound in the room, and it had been peaceful. For once Stephen had stuck around for the rest of the night, they had enjoyed a meal together and now they were lounging in the living room, enjoying each other's company. Anna knew it wouldn't last forever - it never did. Their relationship was often volatile, both wanting to be right when heated words were exchanged, although Stephen would usually be the winner of that.<p>

The ringing of the phone finally stopped, only to be replaced by harsh banging on the front door. Anna shrugged Stephen's arm from her waist and sat upright, wondering just who the hell would be coming around uninvited at this time of night. Stephen looked just as confused as she did, which unnerved her a little.

He kissed her cheek before standing up from the couch; glancing at his phone, he noted the six missed calls from Stu. Shaking his head, he moved over to his jacket laying on one of the armchairs next to the couch. He pushed the jacket to one side and picked up his gun.

"Stay here."

Stephen hastily made his way towards the front door, checking the security camera before he made another move; he smirked as he saw Stu stood on the porch. He pulled the door open and the Englishman didn't hesitate to step inside, greeting his friend with a sheepish smile and a firm slap on the back.

"What yeh doing here?" Stu eyed the gun in Stephen's hand and cringed. The image of Charlie holding his gun has been embedded deep in his mind, along with his wife's words.

"Lara wanted me out." He ran a hand over his face, walking further into the house as Stephen shut the front door, locking it again.

"Takes a lot to get her pissed, what the hell yeh do, fella?"

Stu pulled out the gun that Stephen had given him just the night before from his waistband. "Charlie got his hands on it. Look mate, is it okay if I stay here tonight?"

"Oh my god." The men turned to see Anna stood at the end of the corridor, shock etched onto her face.

Stephen knew she was mad, her tone and her stance making it very clear, but he didn't have time to deal with her, "Anna not now."

"Yes now, and I think that gun belongs to me." She started taking slow steps towards both men, her hand held out for Stephen to give her back what he had taken.

"What? How does she know?" Stu spat at Stephen feeling his anger rise again. Things were bad and they were slowly getting worse.

"Anna, go to the bedroom." The Irishman took the gun from Stu, not at all intending to give it to his wife.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Now!" Stephen boomed, surprising even himself. He watched as Anna shook her head in disbelief.

She turned on her heel and marched down the hallway towards their bedroom. She stopped just before the stairs, glancing over her shoulder at the two men watching her retreat. "You can share the spare room."

"What the fuck is happening?" Stephen didn't know what to think anymore, everything he did was blowing up in his face.

"You tell me," he started walking through the house, Stu following close behind him.

"Ah told yeh to be careful. How the hell did Charlie get hold of it anyway?" Stephen barged into his office, placing both of the guns onto his desk then heading straight for the large glass cabinet next to the grand bookcase. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He filled a glass a quarter of the way and shoved it in Stu's direction. The Englishman happily took it, not even waiting to take a mouthful.

"I had a lot on my mind. That file DiBiase gave me - it's gone." Stu spoke after drinking the harsh liquid, waiting for Stephen's reaction.

"What do yeh mean gone? Gone where?" Stephen frowned, placing the bottle of whiskey back into the cabinet.

"I've turned my office upside down, it's not there."

"Where the fuck would it go, Stu?" He groaned, trying to put together things in his head. Something was going on, but he just couldn't determine what.

"How does Anna know about the gun?" Stu inquired, moving around the office to get a look at the books on the bookcase.

"She noticed it was missing at the range; checked the CCTV."

"You said no one would even know if one disappeared," Stu's jaw locked, eyes blazing. Stephen decided that was enough for one night, he knew his friend's temper and he didn't want either of them to end up throwing fists.

He shook his head, setting down the glass of whiskey on his desk. "Yeh know where the spare room is. Jus' make sure yeh find that file tomorrow."

Leaving Stu in his office, Stephen made a hasty retreat up towards his bedroom, passing the spare room on his way. Gently he pushed the door open and quietly slipped into the dark room - he could just make out Anna's form under the duvet.

"You're in the wrong room." He couldn't help but grin. He knew she wouldn't be asleep already, but he also knew he would win her around, no matter how hard she tried to protest. Slowly he walked over to his empty side, hearing Anna groan as he crawled onto the bed.

Stephen moved right next to his wife, gently leaning over to move her hair away from her face. He nuzzled her neck then pressed his lips against her cheek. "Sorry Ah shouted."

Slowly he ran his hand down her bare arm, his warm palm heating her smooth skin. Feeling her shudder under his touch, he smirked against her cheek, satisfied upon hearing a sigh escape her lips.

Anna rolled onto her back, pushing Stephen away slightly. He was still laid on his side, staring her down. "If my dad finds out that-"

"He knows," he could feel her forgiveness slipping away from him. He didn't want her to be mad at him, but at the same time he didn't want to have to explain the reasons why he did things.

"So you tell him, but you don't tell me?"

"Ah asked him for a favour. He owns the range, not you." Anna wanted to argue back, determined to make him realise that she deserved to know too, but she knew it would get her nowhere good.

Anna kissed Stephen on the lips, her hand reaching up to cup his cheek. "You better take your clothes off if you're getting into bed."

Stephen smiled at Anna, slipping off the bed to shed himself of his shirt and trousers. Pulling the covers back he settled under the duvet; he gripped onto Anna's hips tugging her towards him so her chest was flush against his. He wrapped his arms around his wife, hearing her sigh and push herself into him.

"I can't remember the last time I fell asleep in your arms." Anna quietly spoke against his chest, placing a soft kiss against his warm skin once she had finished talking. Stephen didn't reply. In all honesty he didn't know what to say, he felt guilty but he couldn't promise anything; and that wouldn't change any time soon.

* * *

><p>Stephen glanced up from completing the crossword puzzle in the daily newspaper, setting down his pen on the kitchen table. He smiled Stu's way as he shuffled into the room, pouring himself a small cup of coffee. He couldn't help but notice the discomfort etched on the Englishman's face.<p>

"Mornin'," he greeted, "How're yeh?"

Stu took a gulp of his coffee, lukewarm from the pot sitting aside. He wet his lips and rubbed the back of his neck. "I would be a lot better if I could've gotten an ounce of sleep. That spare bed needs replacing, mate. I had springs poking me constantly."

Stephen chuckled, turning his attention back to the newspaper in his hand. "Ah let yeh stay, Ah didn't say it would be comfortable."

"I suppose you get what you give. You could argue that I deserved a restless night." He wasn't looking for sympathy; he knew that he was in the wrong when it came to the argument with his wife. The image of her staring at him through the living room window stuck in his mind, and it chilled him to the bone. He had attempted to call her before he went to bed, and again when he thought she would have woken up in the morning, but he got his reply from an answering machine. All he wanted to do was make sure that she was okay. Stu was broken out of his thoughts by Stephen calling his name. He shook his head, completely lost. "...What?"

"Ah said do yeh need a ride to the office?"

"Oh, my car is parked out front. I'll just meet you there."

"Alright," he waved it off, wanting to finish off his crossword puzzle before the answers disappeared from his mind. Despite his good nature towards Stu, there was an air of tenseness in the room. He didn't bother to question it. "Ah'll meet yeh there after the missus has woken up. Don't forget to look fer that file."

"I'll try, mate. I've got to see if Lara will let me in the house yet."

"She'll come round. Ah mean it's no' like yeh have the gun on yeh anymore..."

"Right," he agreed, defensiveness evident in his voice. In that second, he appeared to be readjusting his trousers, making sure to conceal the weapon he had taken back from Stephen's office before he had appeared in the kitchen. It was difficult to hide it; the dark material had little give in it so there was a chance he would have to walk out of the room backwards in order for the Irishman not to see. "Thanks for letting me stay. Let Anna know that I'm grateful; I know she's mad at me too after last night."

"That's nothin' Ah can't solve," Stephen assured, a smirk creeping onto his lips, "A few kind words, a nice piece o' jewellery an' she'll be sweet again."

"Good luck with that one," Stu smiled, finishing up his cup of coffee. He pushed his hand into his trouser pocket, jangling his car keys. "I'm going to work early then so I can search for this file. Perhaps I left it there after all."

"Jus' don't make a mess o' the office like yeh did yer house. The boss is probably less forgivin' than Lara."

"You clearly don't know my wife."

The Englishman backed out of the room with those words. Shaking his head, he couldn't help but laugh. After all the years of friendship between them it still surprised him that Stephen didn't know one thing about his marriage. Maybe it shouldn't have surprised him; after all, it's not like they talked to each other extensively about their wives. As soon as he left the Farrelly's, he pulled the stolen gun from his waistband, quickly inspecting the weapon. He needed to do a better job of hiding his 'toys' from Lara.

* * *

><p>"Anna?" Stephen shouted from the kitchen, pulling his jacket on and picking up his phone. "Anna!"<p>

Not hearing any reply, he moved out of the kitchen and upstairs towards the bedroom. It had been almost half an hour since Stu had left, and he honestly didn't even know if his wife was even awake yet. As soon as he stepped through the door, he was greeted by quite an image. Anna was on her hands and knees, hand under the bed searching for something. Leaning against the doorway he enjoyed the view for a moment, thankful that his wife was half-dressed in nothing but a red lace bra and matching panties. He suddenly wished he didn't have to rush out so quickly.

"Lost somethin'?"

"My earring," Anna mumbled from her compromising position on the floor.

"Again? Yeh want me to buy yeh another pair that bad, yeh should have jus' asked."

"No, Ste. I've really lost it this time." The words slipped from her lips before she could stop them.

"What the hell does that mean?" He frowned, watching her scurry along the floor and clamber to her feet.

"Don't be mad." Anna gripped onto Stephen's arms as he continued to stare her down. The web of lies she had weaved continued to grow.

"Don't give me anythin' to be mad at."

"I found the other earring, and I didn't want to tell you because I love these new ones so much. And now I've lost this one again. I'm so sorry Ste; you know how clumsy I can be at times." Anna held her breath as her husband didn't move. She was digging a hole that she could no longer climb out of.

"Ah don't know what's gotten into yeh lately, but Ah want the old Anna back." Stephen pulled her hands away from him and turned around, walking out of the room.

Anna stood in shock, hearing him say those words tore at her heart. She didn't have a hold on what she was doing anymore. "Stephen, wait!" Anna rushed out of the room, chasing after her husband. She managed to catch up to him, her hand reached out for him, gripping onto his forearm. "I'm sorry, please just let me explain."

"Go on."

"I just miss you. I miss spending time with you and I just want your attention." Anna ran a hand through her hair, feeling like she was losing a battle. "I know that's pathetic, but I didn't know what else to do."

Stephen sighed; he knew he had been neglecting his job as a husband recently, he just didn't know to what extent. "Come here," he pulled her into his arms, holding her tight in his embrace. "When things quieten down, we'll go away somewhere."

"Just you and me?"

"Jus' us." Stephen reiterated, feeling her shiver against him. "Go put some clothes on. Ah'll be back for dinner."

"Okay." Anna let him kiss her then walk away, disappearing down the stairs. She had been close to slipping; close to telling Stephen everything. Desperately she needed to get a grip and sort her scattered mind out.

* * *

><p>Alex had only just pulled her shirt down her chest when her phone started ringing. Checking the caller ID, her brows furrowed at seeing Lara's name flash on the screen, having no idea why she would be calling so early in the morning.<p>

"Hello?" She answered.

"_I need the files back."_

"Well good morning to you too," Alex muttered dryly.

"_Good morning. Now come over and give me those files back before Stu decides to be more pigheaded and comes home,"_ Lara said hurriedly.

"Wait, what?"

"_I kicked Stu out last night. It's hard to explain,"_ she said. _"Now tell me, can you come over with the files or not?"_

"Well no, I'm gonna be late if I do," Alex replied. "Phil's been hovering more as of late and I don't want to give him more reason to do so. Plus, we haven't even really taken a good look through those documents. We may end up finding something useful."

"_I need those files back,"_ Lara practically begged. "_There's no other explanation for them to disappear from Stu's office other than me taking them. I'd blame the nanny but she hasn't been here for days."_

"I can get them copied at the office," Alex replied. "Then maybe you, Anna and I can meet up for lunch."

"_Is it smart for you to take those files to your office? I mean, the man whose creepy face is in those folders is on the same floor. Doesn't Tommy have a scanner in his office or something?"_

"Trust me," she said, sitting down on the bed and slipping her feet into her shoes. "The way Tommy has his office under lock and key when he himself isn't in there, it's easier to make the copies at my office rather than in there."

Lara snorted at the thought, saying how maybe if Stephen and Stu were the same way, the three women wouldn't be caught in the web of secrets and lies that they were in right now. _"Just be careful that no one sees you making those copies. I'll tell Anna that we're meeting for lunch and send you a text later where."_

"Alright, I'll see you later. Bye," Alex said, hanging up the phone.

"Who will you see later?"

"Jesus Christ!" She exclaimed, snapping her head towards the bedroom door. "You're developing the habit of sneaking up on me. I don't like it."

Tommy took the towel draped around his neck and waved it in surrender, apologizing to his wife before asking the question again.

"That was Lara," Alex replied. "She wanted to see if I wanted to grab breakfast with her and Charlie but I'm gonna be late if I do so I suggested we do lunch instead."

He merely nodded his head at her answer, making his way towards the closet.

"She kicked Stu out," she said, following him, watching as he picked out clothes to change into. "Can you believe it?"

"He called me about it last night," he said with a shrug. "I think he went to Ste's."

"Do you know why?"

"I didn't ask," he said with a shrug. "Besides, it's not our place to know. Though I'm sure you're gonna end up with the gossip from Lara."

Alex stuck her tongue out when his tone turned playful, her actions getting a knowing smirk in return.

"I thought you said you were gonna be late," he mused. "Shouldn't you be going now?"

"I wanted to switch purses," she replied.

Tommy eyed the far wall of their walk-in closet, her collection of bags of every shape and size proudly on display. "You're gonna be late alright."

She swatted at his shoulder as she walked past him towards her bags, letting out a yelp when she was pulled back. Any protests she may have had about his manhandling died in her throat as he planted a firm kiss to her lips, wiping at the smeared gloss as they parted. "I'm off to shower and get this gym stink off me. If you're gone by the time I'm finished, there's your goodbye kiss."

Alex could only stare up dreamily at him, her breath completely taken away. As stressful as her days have been with work and the mystery surrounding Phil's involvement with her husband and the rest of the guys, it was moments like these, when it was just the two of them, that made her forget about the rest of the world.

"I love you Tommy."

"I love you too," he said with a soft smile, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll see you later."

She watched as he made his way out, heading straight for the bathroom. Alex waited to hear the door click shut before pulling out the shoe box that contained the file folder on Phil, making sure that all the contents were there. Stepping out into the bedroom, she shoved the files into her purse before rushing out, not wanting to take the chance of being caught if Tommy finished his shower quickly.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I'm doing this," Alex muttered to herself.<p>

Carefully stacking the files in her hand before lining them up on the copier's feed, she pressed '3' to get the copies started. She casually moved her gaze across the room, checking to see if anyone had been curious as to what she was doing. It was her curiosity that was piqued however, when she saw Karen grab at Phil's arm, throwing her head back in laughter at something he said.

The copy machine going into a quiet hum diverted her attention back to the task at hand, placing the original files as well as the copies for her, Lara and Anna back into the folder, stuffing the confidential documents between work-related folders just in case. Figuring that they were as well-hidden as possible, Alex turned on her heel, wanting to get back in her office only to be met by Karen's smiling face.

"Hi," she greeted. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out for lunch with me. I haven't really talked to anyone else and Phil suggested asking you. He said you were probably the easiest to get along with."

The tall brunette raised her eyebrows slightly, wondering why their boss seemed so keen on pawning the redhead on her. To her knowledge, she was the only one who had gotten the personal introduction from him, and the only one who's meeting Karen had sat in on.

"If you don't want to, that's totally fine."

Alex shook her head, realizing that she had yet to give her an answer. "I'm sorry," she started. "But I made plans to meet my friends for lunch. Maybe we can go some other time."

"Sure, no problem," Karen said with a huge smile. "I guess I'll take Phil up on his offer to go with him instead. I'll see you later."

Alex made the short trek to her office and paused just at the door, casting a wary glance at how chummy the redhead had become with their boss not even two days since she had started working. The brunette watched as the new secretary wrapped her hands around Phil's extended arm, leaning her head on his shoulder as they stepped into the elevator.

"If that gets him off my case, then so be it," she muttered to herself, dropping the folders on her desk. She grabbed her purse and gathered the confidential files, placing the copies in separate folders to give to Anna and Lara.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you ThatGirl54, boston246, Blackhat, xj0j0x, xFindTheEnigmaWithinx and shakeitsalome for the awesome reviews :D Lou, Katie and Mox **


	8. Hide And Seek

_**Hide and Seek**_

"Here you go."

"Did you have any trouble getting these copied?" Lara asked, worried that her friend may have blown her cover.

"Do you think I'd be here if I did?" She asked, "My heart was racing the entire time I was doing it but other than getting shocked at turning around to find Karen right in front of me and asking me if I wanted to do lunch, I was in the clear."

"Karen?" Anna piped up.

Alex quickly explained who the redhead was, saying how she was Phil's new secretary who had replaced a suddenly-fired Melissa. "She seems nice but I don't know. There's something weird about her but I just can't place my finger on it."

"Weird, how?" The blonde pushed on.

"She's been nice but it seems that she's going out of her way to be extra nice to me, like she's sucking up or something," she replied. "And she's too close to Phil."

"What do you mean?" Lara asked, the mention of Alex's boss grabbing her attention.

"Wherever he is, she's there," she started. "I mean, I know she's his secretary or personal assistant or whatever, but for having been working for the man for a day and a half, they're awfully close. They're out to lunch today when I said I couldn't go with her."

"So?" Anna scoffed. "That could mean that he's got a new distraction and will lay off on being a creep to you. And didn't you say a lot of the younger girls in your office practically throw themselves at him? Heaven knows why, he looks like a slimy bastard to me, but it's a good thing that he's got himself a new toy."

Lara and Alex shared a wary glance as they listened to Anna ramble on, a steak knife gripped firmly in one hand as she repeatedly drove it on top of her copy of Phil's files.

"Are you okay?" Alex cautiously asked.

"I'm fine," the blonde said curtly, raising the menu to cover her face. "Let's get some food."

The three girls finally ordered lunch, and although they had tried to change the subject, at least for a little while, they couldn't find anything else to talk about. Anna had been reeling off ideas as to where Phil's former assistant had disappeared to, making Alex a little bit unnerved.

Alex shoved her fork into the pile of lettuce on her plate, feeling all her appetite disappear. She looked up at Lara, and then to Anna; both of her friends looked equally as worried as she felt. Curiosity had gotten the better of them. For so long they had wondered what their husbands did - what made them leave and come back home at ridiculous hours. Of course they weren't totally oblivious, but the digging around they had done only brought up things that maybe should have been left undisturbed.

"I don't think I can do this whole sneaking around thing anymore." Anna sighed, breaking the silent tension that had loomed over the table.

"What? It was your idea!" Alex almost shouted, clamping her mouth shut as a few people from the nearby tables turned to look at them. "You can't back out now."

"I almost told Ste everything this morning."

"I told you it would be Anna." Lara snidely said; Anna could only roll her eyes in response.

"You guys don't know what it's like! Alex, you have your job; and Lara, you have Charlie and the column. What do I have?"

Alex shook her head, wondering why her friend had changed her mind all of a sudden. "Well, you have-"

Anna quickly butted in. "Nothing, that's what."

"What about the range?"

"I don't even do anything there," Anna grabbed her purse as she heard her phone ringing. "It's Ste."

"Hey," Anna tried to sound as chipper as possible before her husband started ranting at her down the phone. "Whoa, calm down."

Lara and Alex put eating on hold for a moment, listening to everything Anna was saying. "Ste, I don't know where it is. I don't even know where the hell you put it." Anna glanced up, smiling sheepishly at her friends. "Bye."

"Anything important?" Alex asked; Anna didn't miss the sarcastic lilt to her voice.

"He thinks I've done something with that stupid gun." Anna shoved her phone back into her bag, annoyed that Stephen would just accuse her before asking. If she wanted a gun she'd take one from the hundreds she could get her hands on every day at the range.

"And have you?"

"No!" Anna defended herself, "Stu must have taken it back."

"He better not have." Lara hissed, the frustration she felt the previous night creeping back.

"I have no clue what's going on anymore." Anna was about ready to admit defeat, although that wasn't usually her style. She'd had enough of getting on the wrong side of Stephen.

"We're doing this for Alex. If she's in any danger we have to know." Lara couldn't quite believe she was trying to persuade Anna to continue snooping around, but she certainly wasn't going to do it on her own.

"We do know, but what can we do to help her?"

Alex coughed, making her two friends turn to her. "Hello? I'm right here."

"Maybe we should just find out a little bit more about Phil."

"I think you're right," Anna smiled, her not wanting to snoop around lasting all but five minutes, "I'm going to go through everything in the file whilst Stephen is out and do a bit of digging on the internet."

"Be careful." Alex knew Anna was only looking out for her, but she also knew of her habit of slipping up now and then.

Anna scoffed, playing with the food on her plate. "How can I get hurt doing that?"

"No," Lara shook her head, "Don't let Stephen catch you!"

"Pft, he won't know. I'll hit a few shops before I go home and he'll think I've been shopping all day." Anna smirked, leaving Alex and Lara hoping she wouldn't get caught.

* * *

><p>The key turning in the lock brought Stu out of his thoughts. He had only been home for half an hour or so, but he knew exactly who was about to enter the house when he realised who wasn't home. Lara. She burst through the door with a huff, a gust of wind blowing through the open door as she pushed it shut. He watched as she readjusted her hair, the wind sending it all over the place and disrupting it from its usual immaculate dark waves. She paused when she saw him sat in the living room, his appreciative gaze meeting hers.<p>

"Sweetheart," Stu smiled, getting up from the couch to approach her at the front door.

"Oh you're back," Lara mused unenthusiastically, hanging her trench coat up on the rack. "Brigette must've let you in."

"You're not still mad at me, are you?"

"No, I've just been out looking for you actually," her answer made his eyebrows quirk in surprise. He hadn't expected her to try and find him after what had happened, and indeed how angry she seemed. "Anna told me you stayed at theirs last night but when I got there I guess you'd already left."

"You know that I'm sorry, right?"

"My phone certainly does. You must've left about twenty voicemail messages."

"Listen, you have nothing to worry about, okay? I got rid of the gun." His confident demeanour completely concealed his lie. As soon as Stu had been let in the house by the nanny he had rushed to the garage, hiding the weapon in the disused and unplugged freezer under some old blankets.

"I should hope so too." She wasn't completely over what had transpired the night before, but she knew that he had to come back home to work it all out at some point. Any animosity she had for her husband had to be pushed aside. She would settle for mild irritation at his previous actions for now. "Anyway, I didn't go looking for you because I felt bad about kicking you out."

"I deserved it-"

"Yeah, you did," she interrupted. "I wasn't expecting you to show your face here so soon. I actually wanted to find you because I found this in your office." Lara reached into her tote bag and pulled out the very same file that Alex had given back to her at lunch. Lying was becoming easier by the day. Stu's eyes lit up at the sight of the document.

"Yes!" He gladly accepted the thick folder from her grasp. Quite frankly, Lara was happy to see the back of the original. She watched as he opened it slightly, mumbling to himself. After a minute or so, Stu met her suspicious gaze again. "You didn't look inside it, did you?"

She scoffed, mimicking his deep voice. It was like his whole life depended on that confidential folder; perhaps it really did. "Thank you, Lara. It was really nice of you to bother looking for the file after the mess I'd left behind."

"Thank you, sweetheart," he leaned down to kiss her forehead, unsure as to whether he had earned a chance at her lips just yet. She tensed as his lips came down on her skin, her defensive stance standing strong. He smiled at her before glancing back at the file. "Now answer my question."

"Why would I snoop at the file?" Lara asked, a hint of annoyance in her tone. "I wouldn't do anything like that. It's your business, not mine." Another lie. It was as if she had a sickness.

"You're amazing."

"Oh, I don't know about that..."

"No, seriously, I honestly don't know what I would do without you," he placed the file on the coffee table and took her face in his hands, feeling her relax in his gentle grip. "My beautiful wife." She heard him whisper, her eyes closed as he stroked over her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I'm guessing Charlie was happy to see you." It was then that she opened her eyes to see her husband's beaming smile. Just the mention of their son and he couldn't fight the pleased emotions bubbling up inside him.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Maybe we should stop all this shit, you know, arguing over your work. It's not good for Charlie to see. You've got your file; I've got my husband back." Lara eased his hands away from her face by loosely grabbing his wrists. She linked her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, truly wanting to forgive him for his carelessness. He smiled when her lips pressed to his for a few seconds. "Let's just leave it at that for now."

And nothing more was said.

* * *

><p>Anna had hidden herself away in the bedroom, meticulously scanning through everything in the copy of the files Alex had given her. The neon yellow highlighter gripped tightly in her hand was furiously marking things on the paper; things that might be of importance. At the moment, pretty much everything was highlighted and not being able to find something that could really give her a clue as to what was really going on with Phil, Anna collapsed back onto the bed.<p>

Letting out a heavy sigh, she stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. She was tempted to call up Lara and see if she had managed to delve a little deeper into the files, but she stopped herself. Abruptly she sat up, picking up one of the pictures that was next to her foot.

The picture of Phil leaving his workplace didn't scream suspicious, but the man he was meeting did. She didn't recognise him and she would have known if she'd seen him before. Beady little eyes and long brown hair tied at the base of his neck made him stand out like a sore thumb. Just as Anna reached for another document, she heard a door slam shut.

"Anna?" Stephen's voice was faint, but he was close enough to make her heart leap out of her chest.

Her hands swept across the bed, gathering up all the bits of paper as quick as possible. She shoved them into the file, and grabbed the highlighter. Slipping off the bed in a panic she pushed the files under the bed, making sure they were out of sight. Her hair fell in front of her face, but she managed to push it away and scramble to her feet just as the bedroom door opened.

"What yeh doing?"

Anna laid eyes on Stephen, stood in the door way looking suspicious of her actions. "I, er... I had a headache so I've been asleep. I heard something so I was going to see what it was."

"Yeh need some aspirin?" He shoved his hands into his pockets, watching as she smoothed down her blouse.

"No, I've had some. Thank you." Anna almost whispered, Stephen's gaze making her a little nervous. She couldn't quite tell what mood he was in, especially after his phone call during lunch.

He looked around the room and she moved across to the other side of the bed towards the master bathroom. "I'm just going to throw some water on my face; it might make me feel better."

Quickly she scurried off, shutting the bathroom door behind her. She turned on the tap and stared in the mirror above the sink. She was driving herself crazy, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. The digging around and the lies just came naturally. No wonder she and Stephen were so suited for each other.

Gently she cupped her hands under the soft bubbly water and leaning over she tipped it over her face. Blinking the water away, she reached for a cloth and dabbed her face dry. She felt better, more alert if she needed to lie. Opening the door, Anna couldn't see Stephen anymore. She guessed that he was in his office. Well, that was until she saw his red hair peeking up behind the side of the bed.

"Ste, what are you doing?" Anna rushed around the bed, grabbing onto Stephen's arm to pull him upwards.

"Thought Ah'd have a look fer yeh earring." Stephen frowned as his wife tried her best to get him to his feet.

"Don't worry about that, I'm going to clean the whole house. It will turn up," she tugged on his arm, trying to get him away from the bed. "Do you want me to make you something to eat, or drink?"

"Ah just came back to do some stuff in the office." Stephen eyed her suspiciously as she slipped her arms around his neck.

"I won't keep you then, and I'll get to looking for that earring." Anna smiled and quickly pressed her lips to his, playing the role of perfect wife just fine.

As soon as Stephen left the bedroom, she did as she promised. She had been cleaning for the past few hours, and she was annoyed at herself that she had told him that she would clean in the first place. Having had enough, and hearing her stomach rumble, Anna had left the confines of her bedroom and left in the pursuit of her husband. Of course she didn't have to go far; he was still in his office.

Sauntering into the spacious room, Anna slowly walked over to her husband. "What you doing?" Anna let her hands settle on Stephen's shoulders, gently rubbing the thick tense muscle there. She heard him sigh, followed by him leaning back in his chair.

"Goin' over a few last minute deals." Stephen let his eyes drift shut, allowing his wife to run her hands over him. He felt her lips against his ear and her body push against his as her hands slipped down his chest.

"Are you going to be long?" Anna purred, her fingers toying with the buttons of his shirt.

"Yeh've always been impatient." Stephen laughed, pulling at Anna's wrists to stop her undressing him at his desk. "Five minutes."

"And I know what that means." She stepped away from him, moving slowly around the office. Her heels clicked against the hardwood floor with every step she took, breaking the silence in the room.

"Do yeh now?"

"Yes, anything but five minutes." Anna glanced over her shoulder; Stephen had already gone back to doing things on his computer.

"Yer right abou' that," he tapped a few things into his computer then stood up. A smirk crept onto his face as his wife rolled her eyes. "Ah guess Ah'm done fer the night."

Just as he stepped away from his desk and the house phone on the desk began to ring. Stephen patted down his pockets, realising he had left his cell phone elsewhere. He thought it had been a quiet uninterrupted afternoon, now he knew why. "Are you going to answer that?"

"Why would Ah do that?" Stephen mused, but Anna knew he was itching to pick the damn thing up.

"_Ste, why hell aren't you picking up your phone? This is urgent. Meet me at North Branch Street on Goose Island. Tommy's already on his way,"_ Stu laughed before continuing, _"We're gonna finish this guy."_

Anna had gripped onto Stephen's arm so he couldn't move away from her. "Should I even bother asking?"

"This is business. It's what Ah do." Stephen looked down at his wife, annoyed that Stu had left the message on the house phone, but he had probably already left a dozen on his cell. He pulled Anna towards him, his hand reaching up to gently cradle her face. He made her look up at him, trying his best to put his argument across. "This house, yeh car an' all the fancy stuff yeh have is because of what Ah do."

"I know that."

Stephen stared down at his wife, trying to make out what she was thinking but he couldn't read anything. "Yeh want rid o' all this?"

"I just don't want rid of you." On her tip toes, Anna pressed her lips against Stephen's. "Please don't do anything stupid, I don't want to lose you."

And then he saw it. Something he hadn't seen in a long time. Although she tried to put up a front, she was afraid. "Ah'm no' goin' anywhere, lass."

Anna believed him. "Stu won't be happy if you're late."

"Don't wait up." Stephen kissed her cheek and left the room, leaving Anna all alone.

* * *

><p>Alex peered over her shoulder, making sure her husband was not up to his new habit of keeping a silent watch on her as she went about their own home, as she walked into their walk-in closet with the files hugged tightly to her chest. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to have a copy of what they had been digging up on Phil in their house, but what other option did she have? It was tricky enough that she had made the copies at her office; it would have been downright stupid of her if she even thought of leaving the files in her office, regardless if they were kept under lock and key. That left her with only one hiding place – stuffed into one of her bags that she knew he would never touch.<p>

She had just put her cream Chanel tote back on its perch when she heard the bedroom door click shut. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she casually made her way back to the bedroom. She flashed a smile when Tommy looked up to meet her eyes, only to disappear into a firm line when he averted his eyes and proceeded to take a rectangular black leather case from their bedside drawer, no doubt concealing a gun.

"I just got a call from Stu," he said simply.

"What about dinner?" Alex huffed. She knew it was useless to even ask, knowing how his job pretty much ruled everything in his life, but she thought it was better to show a small protest rather than raise suspicion on why she had decided to act indifferent to the kink in their relationship.

"I'm sorry Lex," Tommy said, turning just as he pulled on his suit jacket. "I'll make it up to you." Her gaze remained glued to the carpet as he strode up to her to plant a kiss on the top of her head, sighing when she refused to look up or say another word. "I love you."

"Tommy!" She called out, just as he was about to shut their bedroom door. "Be safe."

He gave her the smallest of nods before disappearing from her sight, leaving her with her head swimming with thoughts of what he was going to do, where he was going to do it, and to who. But all she could do was sit and wait for when he comes home, another one of his shirts stained with blood that she would never question.

One shining light to his leaving was that she was granted the privacy of looking over the files she had just stashed away, with no worries of him suddenly bursting into the room or having prying eyes around like at her office. But before Alex could even take a step to fetch the ledger, her phone had begun ringing, the specific ringtone alerting her of whom the caller was before even picking the device up.

"Hey A-"

"Tommy just left, didn't he? I'm picking you up. Be ready to leave in two minutes," Alex couldn't even finish the greeting before Anna had launched into a frantic tirade.

"Anna, what?" She asked, her mind barely able to keep up with the rushed tones of her friend. She could hear the blonde shuffling about, sounding to be in a hurry to grab what she needed as the distinct clicking of heels travelled over the phone line.

"No buts, just do it," Anna said sternly. "I found something in the files and then I heard something. I'll explain everything in the car on the way to Lara's."

"Does Lara know about this already?" Alex asked, relenting to do as her friend instructed, walking back into the closet to grab a coat and a pair of shoes. Her attention was now grabbed with the mere mention of the files, wondering what Anna picked up on that seemed to cause such worry for the blonde.

"You're the first one I called," she answered. "I'm heading out the door now. Save us all some time and wait outside. I'll be there soon."

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you ThatGirl54, Blackhat, xj0j0x and xFindTheEnigmaWithinx for the great reviews. Hope you're all prepared for some action now ;). Katie, Mox and Lou **


	9. Creep

**Creep**

Alex stared blankly at her phone for a few seconds, still unsure of what to make of Anna's call, but whatever it was that had her in such a frantic state she knew it was serious. Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, she trudged back into her closet, grabbing the bag that she had stuffed the files in. If she, Anna and Lara were going to be together anyway, might as well take the time to go through them again, hoping putting their brains together will yield more answers.

She had just finished locking up the front door when Anna's car came to a screeching halt, wincing at how loud the tires skidded across the pavement at the sudden brake. Alex stood rooted to the spot as the passenger side window rolled down, the blonde in the driver's seat flailing her arms, telling her to hurry up. Breaking into a brisk walk, the brunette pulled the car door open, barely being able to slam it shut before Anna stepped on the gas and sped off.

"Oh my god Anna!" She screeched, bracing her hands on the seat. "We're driving down residential streets not the freeway. I want to live to see my next birthday, or hell, even just Christmas. Slow down!"

"I can't slow down," the blonde argued, her words coming out in a rush. "We still have to pick Lara up and I'm sure she's gonna put up a fight because of Charlie, but we need to hurry because we might miss them and ju –"

"Okay!" Alex interrupted. "Take a deep breath and calm down so I can actually understand what you're saying. And please for the love of all that is holy, slow the fuck down. We're not going to get anywhere other than a hospital at this rate." Anna took several deep breaths, her hands keeping a tight grip on the steering wheel as she eased up on the gas, earning a sigh of relief from Alex. "Now, tell me what's going on."

Anna started talking about going through the files, coming across a picture of Phil and some guy that just made her skin crawl. She decided to skip on telling how Stephen had come home early and almost caught her, knowing that she would be on the receiving end of a pointed glare and a lecture on being more careful.

"Tommy got called away by Stu, didn't he?" She asked.

Alex furrowed her brows together, her curiosity piqued at how Anna knew that not only was her husband out of the house and not around to question why she was leaving all of a sudden, but also of the fact that he had left to meet with Stu. "How did you know that?"

"He called our house too," Anna replied. "But Ste didn't pick up the phone because we were talking so the answering machine picked up. Oh god, Alex."

She could hear the choked sob that the blonde tried to keep down, her anxiousness growing even more at the frazzled state Anna was in. "What is it?"

"We're gonna finish this guy," Anna said, her voice barely above a whisper. "That's what Stu said."

Alex's eyes widened, her chest tightening at the thought that her husband was rushing out to do the unthinkable, even more, that her friends' husbands were also involved. If it was said during a time before they ever got hold of the confidential file, before overhearing their conversation about her safety and working with Phil, she would have dismissed it as a joke between men acting like a bunch of boys. But with what they know now, regardless of how non-concrete it was, she couldn't fight the fear now riddling her thoughts. She wasn't blind or dumb, and neither were Anna and Lara. They were all aware that there was something that wasn't completely right with what work they were involved in, but Alex was certain that none of them ever thought of the possibility that it could be this dangerous.

"Anna?" She breathed out, jaw clenched tightly. "Hurry!"

* * *

><p>Anna quickly ran up to Lara's front door, well, as quickly as she could in 6 inch heels. She banged her fist rapidly against the door, waiting for her to answer. The car was still running and Alex was impatiently waiting in the passenger seat.<p>

"What the hell, Anna!" Lara peeked her head around the door as she slowly pulled the door open, scowling at her crazy friend.

"Are you busy? You're not busy, come with me." Anna pushed the door open and Lara had to step back.

"What is wrong with you? I can't just leave Charlie!"

"Isn't the nanny still here?" She stepped around her friend to take a peek inside the living room.

"Well yes..."

Anna smiled and said, "This won't take long."

"Fine, this better be worth it." Lara shook her head, annoyed that she'd been so easily convinced. Quickly she grabbed her coat and phone then went to see the nanny. She explained she had an emergency and would be back in an hour. She wasn't sure if that was true, but the nanny wouldn't complain. It wasn't like she wasn't getting paid for her services to the family.

"Trust me, this is important," Anna mumbled as she was ushered down the hallway.

"Where's Alex?" Lara asked as she finally left Charlie with the nanny. She was prompted towards the car, motioning to their friend who was gesturing for them to hurry up.

"She'll explain everything on the way there." Anna got into the car as quickly as she could. Only one thing was on her mind, and that was finding what the hell the guys were up to.

"Take the shoes off," Lara ordered before they had even set off.

"Why?" She scowled, starting the engine and becoming more than ready to pull away from the curb.

"Because those things are ridiculous! You can't drive in them." Lara slipped her seatbelt on, hoping Anna would listen to her.

Anna turned in her seat to glance between Alex and Lara, neither of them would look her in the eye. "Alex didn't complain."

Alex shrugged and said, "I did say a prayer though."

"You'll kill us all and I can't leave Charlie without a mother." Lara slammed her fist against the back of the driver's seat, making Anna gasp. "Charlie had a gun, Anna! If he's left with Stu, well, god knows what will happen. He'll be shooting people and end up in the range by the time he's five."

"There's nothing wrong with the range. I work there and I've never shot anyone," Anna gripped onto her shoes and took them off. She threw them onto the back seat, just missing Lara. "Are you happy now?"

"Very," Lara muttered as Anna finally pulled away and sped off down the road. The tension that had built up quickly dispersed as Alex started to tell her friend everything they knew.

Anna had put two and two together. She had seen 'North Branch Street' on some of the documents; places where Del Rio and Phil had been seen together. The area they drove through was filled mainly with industrial lots; huge buildings with cracked and damaged windows. And since the sun had set and Chicago had become a dark city, wherever they went was a little less welcoming.

"That's Stu's car, that's his car," Lara managed to squeak out, feeling herself start to panic. Anna didn't know what to do or where to go so she turned off the headlights. "Oh good, now we're invisible."

"Just shut up!" Anna snapped back, hating that Stu's sarcasm had rubbed off on her friend. She glanced either side of the road, trying to find somewhere she could turn into.

"Stop the fucking car, Anna!" Lara hissed, trying her best to keep calm.

"Oh god, they're going to see us." Alex mumbled, also spotting Tommy's black ford truck further down the road as they were getting closer and closer to Stu's parked SUV.

Anna glanced in her rear view mirror just in time to see Lara duck down to try and hide along the back seat. She quickly turned into an empty parking lot of an industrial estate, hoping to turn around and go back home.

"Park over there," Alex pointed to an area of shrubbery; thick green bushes and a few trees were along the sidewalk, a rare sighting on the small industrial island. She stopped the car but left the engine running; just in case. But just as Anna was contemplating making a quick escape, Lara grabbed onto her arm. She had nestled herself between the divers seat and the passenger seat, and although they were all cautious about what they might witness, none of them could look away. "There's Stu!"

"What is he doing?" Anna's whisper was almost inaudible in the silence of the car. The dull lit alleyway beside the bar on the other side of the road was just visible through the foliage.

Stu was shouting at a man they only recognised through the copied files. His long hair and distinctive features made him recognisable to the three women. Eventually Tommy and Stephen came into sight. Anna shook her head, the expression on her husband's face was scary, and one she had never seen before.

"I can't watch," Just as Alex was about to turn away, she caught sight of Tommy running towards the man, kneeing him in the stomach so he curled over, arms clutching his abdomen as he sunk down onto the dirty floor. "Oh my god."

Like wolves tormenting their prey, Stephen and Stu moved in closer. They were speaking to each other but the girls couldn't make out what was being said.

Stephen eventually picked up the man by his throat, wrapping his hand around his neck then slamming him against the brick wall. The Irishman was speaking to him, taunting him no doubt as he inflicted pain. Anna felt her heart beating fast against her chest. Witnessing things she never thought she would, or even wanted to. Witnessing her husband do them was something that was now burnt into her mind. She didn't like it one bit.

Just as Anna thought it couldn't get any worse, Stephen drew one arm back and punched the man in his jaw, sending a splintering shiver down her spine. Turning to look at Alex and Lara, they all shared the same expression, but none of them could talk.

Alex felt Lara's fingers digging into her arm, tightening as Stephen took a few steps back and let Stu take over. Tommy was stood with his back to them still, arms crossed over his chest just watching the events unfold. "I think we've seen enough." Anna muttered, all set to start reversing the car to get out of the parking lot.

Just as she put the car into reverse, Lara gasped. Anna looked up in time to see Stu stumbling backwards, hand gripped against his nose but not enough to conceal the flow of blood now staining his hands.

"He's hurt. I have to go help him." Lara leaped backwards towards the door, but Anna hit the lock button to make sure she didn't do anything stupid.

"Are you insane?" Alex hissed, not even bothering to look at her friend. She couldn't. Her eyes were drawn to Tommy and Stephen beating the long haired man to the floor. The strange man stood no chance in hell between those three men.

"Sit back down!" Anna told Lara, who promptly returned to sitting down on the back seat, her eyes still trained on her husband. She gasped as she watched Stu reach into his jacket, pulling something out. Lara recognised it and so did Anna. The silver shining under what littler light there was; it was the gun that Stephen had given to Stu. Just as things couldn't get any worse, the Englishman gripped the man's long hair, dragging him on his knees. He snarled at the man, looking like he had become possessed with nothing but blind rage. He pulled the gun back, bringing it down with enormous force. The blunt handle hit the side of his head, sending him face first onto the ground.

Stunned silence filled the car but they were all thinking the same thing. Their husbands were still beating the man on the ground; a ravenous attack that shocked them all. Anna didn't say a word; she reversed the car and exited the parking lot, accidentally scraping the side of the car along the metal wire fence. That didn't stop her. She drove as fast as she could down the road, hoping that the guys didn't see them or recognise the car. She flicked her lights back on and slowed down, not wanting to get pulled over.

"Who was that guy?" Anna asked, not at all sure whether she would get an answer. "I mean, his picture is in those files."

"Maybe he has something to do with Del Rio?" Alex suggested, finally able to speak.

Lara shook her head, the image of Stu being punched playing over and over in her head. "I hope not, that man is bad news."

"What if they killed the guy? How are we gonna go back into our homes, wait for them and act all calm?"

Anna and Alex shared a worried glance, neither knowing how to answer. Lara had voiced out questions that were swimming in their heads, well aware that what they had witnessed wasn't something any of them could easily push to the back of their minds and forget.

"Is it wrong for me to wish they don't come home tonight?" Alex asked, her gaze trained out the window. "At least give us the night to get our bearings straight."

"It's still not gonna make us forget," Anna gravely stated.

"So what do we do?" Lara asked, desperate for any answer.

"Pray for a miracle."

* * *

><p>"Shit," Stu muttered as he approached the front door. The living room and front entryway were illuminated by soft yellow light, and the artificial lantern on the porch had the similar glow. He paused, fumbling around with his keys as he attempted to hide his bloody face with his jacket. Lara would no doubt be waiting for him, pacing back and forth across the floor like she always did when he was out late on a job. He turned the key in the lock and slowly pushed the door open, mentally preparing himself for the onslaught of questions and then the subsequent third degree from his wife.<p>

"Stu?"

"Sweetheart," he spoke lowly, nasally, muffled by his jacket. "I thought you would've been asleep by now."

"Where have you been?" Lara asked, full of worry. "Oh my god!" She couldn't hide her shock when she peeled his grip from his collar. Faced with a broken-nosed husband, she just hoped that her nervousness of the night's actions had played off as concern solely for his injury.

"It's fine," Stu waved her off, "It's... It's nothing."

"Nothing? For you maybe." She pulled his hand away from his nose and quickly drew back. The blood. She hated anything to do with blood, especially when she knew it might not have been just his. Stu noticed her reaction, watching her inspect her shaky hands, now stained with red.

"Whoa, settle down. A broken nose is like second nature to me."

"Yeah but still, can you get to a sink please? You're dripping blood on the floor."

Stu nodded, making his way through the house and into the kitchen. He turned back to her when he reached the archway. She hadn't moved. "Bet you're glad that we never went for that cream carpet, huh?"

"I knew better than to do that," Lara finally replied. She shook her head, trying to shake the horrible thoughts from her mind. Stu took a seat at the kitchen table while she grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and the first aid kit from the cabinet. It was never far away in this household, what with a clumsy toddler constantly bumping into things and grazing his knees. She had a feeling this was more than just a booboo that she could stick a Power Ranger band-aid on. "So you never told me where you've been..."

The Englishman stayed silent, still wanting to avoid her inquiry. He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. After giving her hands a good scrub, Lara grabbed everything else she thought was needed before joining him at the table. She dipped cotton wool into a small bowl of warm water and began the task of cleaning him up of any blood. It wasn't long before he started trying to protest.

"I can do it myself-"

"Stu," she stopped him, just wanting to get the awful job out of the way. He winced, grabbing the ice pack in his strong grip when he felt a sharp pain. She finished sorting out his nose, and then moved onto the cut under his eye. His heavy breathing sliced through the silence until she couldn't take it anymore. "How bad is the other guy?"

"What other guy?"

"Don't act dumb. What story were you going to tell me this time? You walked into a door again?" She popped two Tylenol and placed them in his open hand. He glanced up at her, his brows furrowed. "Need some water for those?"

"Lara, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm fine."

"Just take them."

He didn't bother to argue with her any further. Taking up her offer of a glass of water, he put the pills in his mouth, ready to swallow them. She walked briskly over to the sink, taking a deep breath as the glass tumbler filled up to the top. Her hands were still shaky, and the tumbler ended up slipping from her grasp and smashing on the kitchen floor.

"Fucking hell!"

"Are you alright?" Stu asked, spinning around in his chair to see her trying to pick up the shards of glass.

"Yeah," she snapped, hissing soon after as she managed to cut her finger on sharp piece. "No..."

"You're worse than me," he laughed, beckoning her over to him. She sat down on his lap, letting him check her finger for any pieces of glass under her skin, and winced when she saw the cut. "It's just a bit of blood." _It's just a bit of blood._ He really was clueless. Lara couldn't figure out whether that was a good thing or not.

"I don't know what's wrong with me lately," she sighed.

"You just need some rest," Stu suggested, grabbing the box of band-aids from the first aid kit. He wrapped a pink Power Ranger band-aid around her finger like it was nothing, and kissed her softly on the lips. "There, all better."

She smiled, but her stomach lurched with butterflies. It wasn't better. Things were only getting worse.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you ThatGirl54, xj0j0x, Blackhat, jerichovixen, xFindTheEnigmaWithinx for the awesome reviews :D! Lou, Mox and Katie**


	10. The Morning After

_**The Morning After**_

The steam that had gathered onto the mirror distorted Anna's view of her tired features. She reached out, swiping away some of the moisture then wiped her hand on the white fluffy towel wrapped around her. The morning light spilled into the bathroom, cutting slices of warm orange light onto her skin. Her wet hair clung to her back, beads of water dripping down her skin and into the towel. Wrapping her arms around herself, she shivered lightly; that was her cue to get dried and dressed. That was until the door clicked open, and Stephen walked in. Anna stared at him through the mirror, clad in a pair of basketball shorts and white t-shirt. He was fresh from his early morning workout.

"Mornin'," Stephen shut the door behind him, stepping further into the room. Anna didn't stop watching him through the mirror. He rested his hands on her damp shoulders and kissed her cheek. "Yeh feeling alright?"

"Yes," Anna lied. She felt sick to her stomach, still unable to shake what she had seen him do. His hands were so gentle on her, lightly rubbing the tense knots in her shoulders. Yet just last night he'd had those hands wrapped around a man's neck, punishing and bruising.

"Ah didn't expect yeh to be up this early," she turned her head to look at his knuckles, all red and grazed. "Yeh have somewhere to be?"

Anna shook her head, allowing herself to fall back onto Stephen. She closed her eyes and let him wrap his arms around her. Settling into his embrace, she realised how tired she still was and wanted to crawl back into bed. She had tried to sleep, curled up in the huge bed waiting for Stephen to come back, but she couldn't. And even when he clambered into bed, wrapped his arms around her and mumbled 'I love you', she had been more awake than ever. Her mind worked overtime, replaying what she had seen him do.

Feeling Stephen's lips on her neck, Anna's eyes snapped open. "That message Stu left last night," she started, finding a way to ask if he had finished the guy without having to utter those words, "Was he serious?"

"Are yeh worried abou' that?" Stephen turned Anna around in his arms but still kept her tight against his body. "Ah'll always protect yeh, so yeh know yeh have nothin' to be scared of."

He skirted around her question, saying things she already knew. She didn't know what to say back, instead her fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Ah know when somethin' is wrong, yeh never this quiet."

"I'm fine," Anna smiled, trying to convince herself more than Stephen that she was in fact fine.

"Get dressed an' Ah'll take yeh fer breakfast somewhere." He kissed her forehead and let her go.

Anna quietly said, "Okay." She quickly made her escape from the room before she had to bite her tongue any longer. She wasn't sure what to do or say. She knew she'd slip up, she always did.

She heard the shower turn on and quickly dried her hair. Even with all the noise, there was no drowning out her thoughts. No longer did she have a firm grasp on life, she was trying her hardest to get through every day. Still exploring her relationship with her husband after only eight months of marriage, Anna was seeing things in a whole new light.

Stephen had two sides to him; personal and business, gentle and brash. His hot headed temperament only made an appearance with her once in a while, raising his voice to get his point across. She now wondered how often he intimidated or used his fists to get what he wanted; a lot, she guessed.

An hour later, Stephen was walking Anna out of the house and onto the side walk. She was a little bit ahead of him as he locked the door; eventually she stopped and waited for him, taking in a deep breath. The sky was cloudy and she could tell it was about to rain. She contemplated rushing back to get her coat, but the umbrella in her bag would have to suffice in shielding her from whatever kind of storm was approaching.

"What the hell have yeh done?" Anna's heart stopped and she felt short of breath as she heard Stephen's brash voice. Frozen to the spot she glanced over her shoulder, eyes locking with her husband's. "When did yeh do this?"

Anna glanced where he pointed at. The side of her car; the paintwork scratched off after her quick getaway.

"I went shopping," she started, testing his reaction. "The parking lot in the mall, I caught one of the columns. Guess I was too excited to get to that sale."

"Make sure yeh get it fixed." Anna nodded, feeling like she had just been told off. She scurried towards Stephen's truck as quick as she could, wanting to get out of cold and away from her car. She caught sight of herself in the window, eyes wide and a little disorientated. She needed to pull herself together.

"Can we go for pancakes?" She asked as soon as she was in the warmth of the car. She turned to Stephen as he sat in the driver's seat, starting the engine.

"Whatever yeh want." With that he pulled away, driving towards Elly's Pancake House. After a few minutes of silence, he eventually spoke up, "Ah have to go see Stu."

Anna's heart jumped at the mention of his name. She immediately wondered what had happened with Lara once she had gone home. She had to find out. "

"I'll go with you. I wanted to see Lara anyway."

Stephen didn't answer; he just nodded and carried on driving through the morning rush hour traffic. Once again Anna took a deep breath, reminding herself not to slip up or blurt out anything that would get her into trouble; but then again, trouble was her middle name.

* * *

><p>"You're up early."<p>

Alex froze mid-step as she heard his voice call out to her from the kitchen. _There goes making a quick exit_, she thought.

After being dropped off by Lara the night before, she had tried in vain to push the images of the violence she had witnessed to the back of her mind. She had tossed and turned in bed, the thoughts still plaguing her, until finally tiring herself out and falling into a fitful sleep. She snapped awake when she felt Tommy slip into bed beside her, chalking it up to a bad dream when he had worriedly asked what was wrong. With a kiss to her forehead and his arm thrown over her waist, he had quickly fallen asleep, leaving her to her thoughts well into the wee hours of the morning. Alex woke up after just an hour of sleep when Tommy had gotten up for his workout, and had decided that trying to go back to sleep will only be futile, opting to get ready for work and leave the house as soon as possible to avoid any confrontation that she was sure would prove to be uncomfortable.

She slowly made her way over, her eyes flickering over the impressive spread set on the breakfast nook. "Well you've been busy."

"Sit down," Tommy said with a smile, using the set of tongs in his hand to point towards the table. "I just have to crisp up the last of the bacon and we can eat."

"What's the occasion?" She asked, genuinely curious why he had turned domestic all of a sudden. "It's either I cook or you take me out. Now here you are playing master chef."

"Is it wrong if I want to do something nice for my wife? This was supposed to be breakfast in bed too."

Alex remained silent as he plated up the bacon, her eyes cast downward as he walked towards the table. She couldn't help how her eyes had widened when his hand came into view, the skin over his knuckles split open, angry red marks staring back up at her. "What happened?"

"Oh this?" Tommy asked nonchalantly. "My workout gloves were too worn and split on me. I didn't want to stop my momentum and just went on with the punching bag. Obviously it wasn't such a good idea," he continued, his calloused fingers grazing over the cuts on his other hand.

"I, uh," she stammered, greatly miffed that he could shrug it off just like that when a man could be dead. "I'll make a stop by the mall after work and get you a new pair," she continued.

"Thanks."

The rest of their meal was spent saying only a few things together, and she was certain even without looking to meet his gaze that he sensed that something was wrong with her, though she was extremely grateful that he knew well enough when to leave her alone. "Don't worry about cleaning up," he said quietly after noticing she had cleaned off her plate. "I'll take care of it. It must be an important day at work if you're leaving this early."

"Reports won't write themselves," she offered, a nervous chuckle leaving her lips. "I gotta go."

Tommy stood up from his seat, pressing a hand against the small of her back to walk her out to the garage. Alex finally turned to face him as she stood before the open car door. "I love you," she said, leaning her cheek into the palm he raised to cup her face. Raising her hand to cover his, she continued "Don't hurt any more punching bags, alright?" Her voice cracked when she realised the double meaning in her words.

"I think I've done enough damage," he said with a smirk, making shivers run up her spine when she saw the glint in his eyes. "Be safe. And I love you."

* * *

><p>Anna gripped onto Stephen's arm, gently slipping her hand into his as he knocked on the door.<p>

"Are you going to be long?" She asked as they waited for either Lara or Stu to answer the door.

"Ah don' know," Stephen cast his gaze upwards to the grey misty sky, then back down to his wife. "Is that a problem?"

Anna shook her head, startled by Stephen's sudden mood change. He had been the perfect husband during breakfast; pulling her chair out, holding her hand and stealing small glances at her. They had laughed and joked over a generous helping of maple syrup soaked pancakes. From the outside, everything appeared normal.

Hearing the door open, Anna tried to curve her lips into a smile. Seeing Stu made that difficult; she frowned at him, noticing the bruising on his face around his nose.

Stephen shrugged Anna's hand from his so he could greet his friend and business partner. "That's a right shiner yeh got on yeh. How're yeh, fella?"

"Not bad, come in," Stu smiled, slapping Stephen on the back with his large palm. "I didn't expect to see you, Anna. Shouldn't you be busy spending your husband's hard earned cash?"

Anna heard Stephen laugh along with Stu; usually she would join in with the joke, but she couldn't force a smile, let alone a laugh.

"No," Anna watched Stephen frown at her blunt response, "I need to see Lara."

"Something wrong?" Stu asked, carefully glancing between his two guests.

"Everything is fine." The Irishman answered for his wife, giving her a stern look. Anna was half tempted to give him a few choice words, but instead she bit her tongue and decided not to utter anything back. She was shocked and stunned at how calm and collected the two men were.

"Lara's working in the kitchen." Stu spoke up but Anna was already storming down the corridor, eager to get to her friend.

"I need help," Anna blurted to Lara who had her back to her, typing away on her laptop. Perched on the edge of a stool, she whipped around, surprised to see her friend and her unusual version of 'hello'.

"What are you doing here?"

"Ste's here," Lara's eyes widened and both of the girls shared a knowing look. She glanced behind Anna, seeing neither of the men. "It's funny how he can go from this amazing caring man to a pain in my ass in a split second."

Lara patted the stool next to her, "Come sit down." Anna moved across the room to sit next to her friend. The counter in the middle of the kitchen was scattered with papers around her laptop. "Do you really need help?"

"I'm just tired, couldn't sleep at all last night." She confessed, glancing around to make sure it was just the two of them still.

"You and me both," Lara sighed, eyeing the pot of coffee she was currently making her way through. "I can't get my head in the right place to finish this article."

Anna glanced at Lara's laptop, open on the 'Chicago Tribune' website. She caught sight of the weather for the day, cloudy with a chance of storms. Anna scoffed, she didn't need telling twice. She could sense it a mile off; a storm was brewing and it wasn't in the cloudy skies above Chicago.

Lara looked at the screen to see what Anna was looking at; her eyes roamed across the screen to the breaking news sections. The words brutal attack caught her attention and she couldn't help but scroll across the page to click on it.

"Oh my god," she turned to Anna, whose lips were parted in shock.

She shuffled closer to the laptop, invading Lara's personal space but she didn't care. "Is that...?"

Lara was too busy reading the article to answer her friend. She felt sick at reading the words, knowing what she had witnessed and who had done it.

_A brutal attack occurred on the streets of Goose Island on Wednesday evening around 11pm. A man in his mid-twenties was found slumped in an alleyway of North Branch Street with serious injuries. He was immediately rushed to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital, after a local citizen contacted the emergency services. _

"Do they know who did it?" Anna interrupted Lara whose eyes were still scanning the words on the screen; she skipped a few lines, trying to find an answer to Anna's question.

_Authorities were in addition called to the scene, but there is yet to be any sign of the assailants and their subsequent arrests, or an official statement from the victim. They are also urging for any witnesses to come forward. More on this as the story continues._

"This is crazy," Lara dismissed, "Now I kind of hope they knocked the guy unconscious."

"What?"

"At least that way he wouldn't remember who attacked him."

"Maybe he's in a coma. The article said his injuries were serious."

"Quick!" Lara squeaked out, slamming her laptop shut as their husbands entered the kitchen from the garage. She lowered her voice to Anna, noticing her tapping her long nails nervously on the table top. "Act normal."

"And what are you ladies up to today?"

"We don't know yet, we're just figuring things out."

"Spendin' more o' me money probably, eh love?" Stephen laughed light-heartedly, nudging Stu in the arm as he joined in. The two women exchanged a look, smiles not once gracing their features. The look didn't go unnoticed. "What's the matter wit' yeh recently?"

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with me." Anna defended, waving her husband off nonchalantly and turning her attention to the Englishman instead. She folded her arms across her chest and adopted a deadpan tone to her voice. "Your nose looks worse than usual."

Stu smirked, reaching up to trace over his bruised skin. Despite his minor injury he had still managed to fall asleep, his head propped up on three extra pillows to ease his breathing. "Cheers," he replied with equal enthusiasm. "Did Lara tell you some ridiculous story about how I got it?"

"No, I just assumed you tripped over your clown feet and face-planted." His smirk faded as hers formed on her glossed lips. She definitely got pleasure from annoying him. Lara picked up her laptop and the cordless phone, nodding at her friend to follow her.

"Excuse us for a minute; we need to make a phone call."

Anna looked at her, confused. "We do?"

"Yeah, we need to call Alex. Come on."

"Alex?" Stu inquired, his expression sceptical. "Lara, you need to quit disturbing her at work. She might get fired." His last sentence caused the two women to giggle. Stephen and Stu glanced at each other, dumbfounded as to what was so funny about what he had said. He figured what he had voiced was pretty sensible given the nature of their previous conversation. Lara scoffed when he questioned her.

"Doubtful that she would get fired, baby. Anyway, she's probably on her lunch break."

Anna carried on giggling, knowing that Phil would never want to let someone like Alex go from the company. Especially with how much of a creep he had been with her in the past. "Psh, like she'd get fired..."

"Anna, I said come on!"

One last look to their husbands and Anna followed Lara out of the kitchen and upstairs, leaving the two men completely confused as to their sudden skittish movements. Was it all innocent, or were they hiding something?

* * *

><p>Hours passed by in a blur for Alex, her motions robotic as she threw herself into work, the events of the past night and that morning almost forgotten. But now, as her heels softly thudded against the carpeted floors of the offices of Brooks Shipping, she was dreading having to face those thoughts again more so than she usually was about having to face Phil.<p>

"Oh!" She exclaimed, surprised by the scene in front of her.

With his office doors open and hearing no voices filtering out, Alex had thought that her boss was free and that she wasn't disturbing anything. But upon entering, she was met with the curious sight of Karen wrapped up in Phil's arms. The two jumping apart when they heard her voice, the redheaded assistant furiously wiping away at her tear-stained cheeks.

"Oh god, what's wrong?"

Karen opened her mouth to say something, only for a choked sob to bubble up from her throat, stopping her from getting anything else out as a new batch of tears started rolling down her cheeks. Alex watched on as Phil gently tugged her back into his arms, his hands going up and down her back in a soothing manner.

"Can you do me a favour, Alexandra?" He asked, flicking his eyes to the brunette still standing in the doorway.

"Anything," she replied.

"Just leave the reports on my table," he started. "I can go through them myself. But, if it's alright with you, do you mind driving Karen to Northwestern Memorial? I don't feel quite comfortable if she drove by herself in this state."

"It's no problem. I can do it," Alex said.

Phil gently pushed Karen away from his chest, tilting her chin up with the tips of her fingers, whispering a few words to her that Alex couldn't decipher. With one last squeeze of her shoulders, he gestured for her to leave.

"Go grab your stuff," Alex said softly when the redhead reached the doorway. "Just let me drop these off," she continued, waving the papers in her hand. "And I'll run to my office to grab my bag so we can go."

Karen nodded her head, pursing her lips into a thin line, no doubt trying to stop any more tears from falling. "Thank you."

Alex turned around to find Phil sat down behind his desk, his elbows propped up on the table as he massaged his temples with his fingers. "Just leave the papers and go, there's no time to waste." he said tiredly. "She'll tell you what's going on."

She did as he asked and left without another word, walking briskly to her office to fetch her things before meeting Karen back at her desk. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," she replied with a nod.

The trip to the hospital was spent mostly in silence, the only sound coming from them were the quiet sniffs Karen was making and Alex's fingers tapping against the steering wheel. Once in the elevator riding up to the trauma ward of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the brunette finally found the guts to ask what was going on, her heart immediately going out to the redhead as she was informed of how her boyfriend was in bad shape after an apparent mugging gone terribly wrong.

"They wouldn't tell me much else over the phone," she said. "That's when I ran into Phil's office asking to get out early and, well, you know the rest."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Alex replied, her voice coming out in a hush. "I just, I don't really know what to say."

"Driving me here is enough," she said. "Thank you again."

"I'll be right outside the room if you need me."

She looked on as Karen took a steadying breath, her hand latched around the doorknob in a vice grip. "Alex?" She called out tentatively. "Do you mind coming in with me? I ju –"

Karen didn't have to say more as Alex walked right up to her, an arm gently slung over her shoulder in a show of support as the redhead finally conjured up the strength to turn the knob and push the door open.

A curtain shielded the beaten man from their immediate view, giving both ladies just a little more time to prepare for what they were about to see. The sight they were met with once the flimsy sheet was pushed aside was nothing either of them could ever be ready for however. The strangled sob that escaped Karen's lips was barely enough to cover the gasp of shock that Alex let out.

"Oh my god," the redhead said, leaving her colleague's supportive embrace to walk over to her boyfriend's bedside. Her hands hovered over the bandages wrapped around his torso as her eyes scanned the many contusions on his face – both eyes seemed to be swollen shut, his jaw sporting varying hues of blue and purple, stitches on the left corner of his lips and staples holding a deep gash on his forehead closed.

With Karen preoccupied, Alex made her way out of the room, shutting the door as quietly as possible. She fell onto one of the plastic chairs lined along the opposite wall, a hand clamped over her mouth as she took in ragged breaths, eyes squeezed shut as dark thoughts flooded her mind.

She jumped when she heard the ringing of her phone, digging through her bag for the device. Seeing Lara's name flash across the screen only made her heart beat faster, nervously looking around before finally answering the call.

"Hello?"

"_I have you on speaker phone. Anna's here,"_ she said.

"What's going on?" Alex asked.

"_We found some stuff about what happened last night,"_ Anna piped up, the words rushing right out of her mouth.

"Are Stu and Stephen there? What do you think you guys are doing?" Alex asked harshly. "You guys can get caught!"

"_Don't worry,"_ Lara said calmly. _"They've just gone into the garage and we're upstairs, with a perfect view of the backyard so we know when they're coming back inside."_

"_So about the guy,"_ Anna started. _"It's all over the news, Alex."_

"What?"

"_I was searching for stuff when I noticed it in my newsfeed,"_ Lara explained. _"Someone found him just lying there, with no effort of trying to hide him. He's alive but in really bad shape. We can try to find more about him, they gave his name."_

"Drew McIntyre," Alex said, her voice taking on a grave tone.

"_How do you know?"_ Anna asked.

"Because I'm standing outside his hospital room."

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you shakeitsalome, Blackhat, ThatGirl54, xj0j0x and xFindTheEnigmaWithinx for the lovely reviews. Katie, Mox and Lou x**


	11. Under Pressure

_**Under Pressure**_

Alex shrugged off her coat and hung it up on the rack, blowing hot air onto her hands as she walked over to the couch where her husband sat. Seeing the tiredness etched on her features made Tommy open his arms, a clear invitation that she didn't hesitate to take. She burrowed her head against the side of his neck, her arms snaking around his waist, letting out a deep sigh as he returned her tight embrace.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Just a little frazzled, I guess," she replied.

"What's going on?"

Alex bit on the inside of her cheek, unsure of how to go about telling him how her day had gone. On the one hand, seeing the state Drew was in had her shaking in fear, not only for finally figuring out what kind of man she married but also at the thought that there was a chance he could also be at the receiving end of such a fate. On the other hand, it wasn't in her nature to just leave questions unanswered. But she knew she couldn't just come out and talk about things she should have no knowledge of.

"I had to drive one of my co-workers around."

"I didn't realise that was part of your job description," Tommy said, his brows furrowing at the thought.

"It was a favour actually," she continued. "She got bad news about her boyfriend being in the hospital and was in pretty bad shape. Phil asked me if I could take her since I was done with my reports early, so I did."

"How are she and her boyfriend doing?"

"She's hanging in there. I can totally understand where she's coming from. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if that happened to you," she said softly, squeezing his side as the words left her mouth.

Curious, Tommy dropped his hands from around her, pushing her chin up to be able to look her in the eyes. "What happened?"

"I didn't really ask for details," Alex shrugged. "Violent mugging, I think, beaten within an inch of his life."

Deciding to take a page out of his book, she talked in a roundabout manner, knowing that mentioning even just a single detail could put her in a sticky situation. She may be able to hide the fact that she, Anna and Lara had seen what they had done to Drew but it would put a stop to whatever digging around the three friends had been doing. Alex knew that if her husband was ever to find out that she had not only seen Drew in the hospital but also worked with his girlfriend, she would have been forced to take a sabbatical from work until he deemed it safe enough for her to return, if at all.

His eyes darted across her face, making her uneasy, thinking that he had somehow seen through her words and he was about to call her on it. Instead, the smallest of smiles crept onto his lips. "You don't have to worry about me," Tommy said, his tone gentle and soothing. "I can take care of myself. And I'll protect you while I'm at it."

"I know," she replied, her fingers tracing over his now bandaged knuckles. A lump formed in her throat at seeing just what his hands were capable of. The same hands that made her feel safe and warm had nearly cost a man his life.

"Is something else on your mind?"

Alex snapped her head up, "What?"

"You got quiet all of a sudden," he pointed out. "I was just wondering what else is going on inside that pretty little head of yours."

She shook her head, mentally cursing herself for making her thoughts noticeable. "It's nothing."

Tommy steadied his gaze on her, tilting his head to one side, waiting to see if she would break. He was about to ask her one more time but the ringing of their house phone had broken through the silence, raising an eyebrow as Alex rushed to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"_Oh my god, Alex!"_ Anna practically screamed over the line. _"I need your help. I want to host a dinner for us."_

"You've hosted many dinners and parties before, Anna," the brunette replied, also answering her husband's silent question as to who was on the phone. "I'd say you're an expert on that. Why would you need my help?"

"_I don't just want to host the thing, I want to make dinner too,"_ the blonde said exasperatedly.

Alex pulled the phone away from her ear, staring at the object in her hand as if it was from another planet. She sent a wide-eyed glance towards her husband, his expression turning curious, before going back to her conversation. "You want to cook?"

Tommy jumped out of his seat right then, catching Alex's attention. She bit down hard on her lower lip to keep from laughing as he flailed his arms around, repeatedly mouthing "no" to her.

"_I will,"_ Anna said sharply. _"I'll show that good for nothing jackass that I can actually do something."_

"Okay, backup," Alex said, now confused as to what had gotten her friend in such a surly mood. "What is going on?"

"_I hate Stuart Bennett,"_ the blonde ground out. "_That's all you need to know for now. Now tell me, will you help?"_

"What exactly do you need help with?"

Tommy dropped his arms dejectedly, showing his displeasure that his wife had decided to help Anna with her cooking venture, knowing how they were likely the ones who would act as her guinea pigs for the feast. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to Alex talk about a roasted chicken and maybe pasta, suggesting a call to Lara as well for some recipe suggestions. He couldn't stop the snort that escaped his chest when they started arguing about a pie, finding the one-sided discussion humorous albeit frightful of the idea of Anna making it from scratch.

"You don't need to make a pie," Alex argued.

"_But I need to have a dessert,"_ Anna argued right back. _"It's not a proper dinner party without dessert."_

"Somehow, I knew you would say that," the brunette mumbled. "How about this," she continued. "I can stop by Vosges and pick up a couple of boxes of truffles. You can have Lara bring some wine. That way you can focus on everything else. How's that?"

"_That sounds perfect actually," _Anna replied, a giddiness lacing her voice. _"Oh, Alex. What would I ever do without you and Lara?"_

"You'd be locked up in a sanatorium."

"_Bitch. I'll see you and Tommy in a few days. Bye!"_

Alex chuckled to herself as she put the phone back on the cradle, a sheepish smile forming on her lips when she noticed the dark look Tommy was giving her. "I guess we're going to dinner at Anna's."

"I hate you."

* * *

><p>"Ste! You need to get ready; everyone will be here in half an hour." Anna shouted as she stirred the tomato sauce on the stove. She had just heard the front door slam shut, followed by Stephen's heavy footsteps through the house.<p>

"Is that tonight?" Anna turned on the spot, nodding frantically. She had taken too much on. Cooking a meal from scratch for six people was not something she had ever done, and by the way things were going, it was never going to happen again.

"Yes, please go."

She was close to begging, wanting Stephen to play the part for the evening. Her gaze travelled down his body, stopping at his shoes. The coating of mud on the bottom wasn't what Anna wanted to see. Quickly she scurried forward, her heart sinking at the sight of the muddy footprints trailed through the house.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Swatting Stephen with the tea towel in her hand, Anna let out some pent up frustration.

"Calm down," he grabbed Anna's flying arms, stopping her from hitting him anymore. "It's just a bit of dirt."

"Stephen, I've been slaving over this dinner all day. I've made the house spotless and worked my butt off. How hard is it for you to come in, not make a mess and fucking get changed?" She sucked in a deep breath, feeling herself spiralling into some crazy woman she didn't know how to control.

"Ah'll clean up the mess an' get changed. Stop worrying." Stephen pressed his lips to Anna's forehead then stepped out of his shoes.

"I'm sorry," she ran her hand through her hair, returning to the stove to check on the sauce and pasta boiling away. "I just want to be a good wife."

The Irishman couldn't help but laugh. He knew Anna; her flaws, her bad habits and everything else in between. He also knew that she wasn't your typical housewife, but he was fine with that. "Yeh're the perfect wife."

"Perfect?" Now it was Anna's turn to laugh, "Don't joke around."

Stephen took a few steps closer to her, watching her stir the contents of the pan. Gently he slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. His nose skimmed against her cheek, followed by his lips. "Yeh're everything Ah want an' need," he squeezed her tightly, "That makes yeh perfect."

Anna couldn't help but smile, Stephen's words sitting heavy on her heart. Turning around in his arms, she slipped her arms around his neck, hugging him like her life depended on it. "I love you." Anna said, feeling like she was on an emotional rollercoaster.

"Ah love yeh too. Now Ah'll clean up an' get changed, don't worry."

Anna let out a heavy breath as Stephen let her go and started to clean up the mess he had made. She wasn't used to being a hostess. Her role at parties was to show up in the most recent outfit she had purchased, drink and laugh. So far she had been drinking; half a bottle of red wine had gotten her through the past few hours. Her outfit was still spread out on the bed, waiting to be put on. The fear of spilling sauce down her new Michael Kors dress meant she was going to change at the very last minute.

Usually she wouldn't care what anyone thought about her, but hearing Stu's comments about how she should have been busy spending Stephen's money; she wanted to prove that she was a dab hand around the house.

After Anna had checked on the chicken cooking in the oven, she heard the front doorbell ring. "Stephen!" She shouted, clueless to where her husband was. "Get the door and entertain."

"Entertain?" Anna jumped as she heard him behind her.

"Yes." Glancing over her shoulder, Anna was relieved that Stephen had changed so quickly. He had slipped into some dark blue jeans and a black dress shirt; casual but still a little bit smart. She didn't have time to comment, she just shooed him away so he wouldn't distract her.

"Ah'm no' the entertaining kind." Stephen grinned, leaning around Anna to steal some of the crusty bread neatly set out on a crisp white china platter.

"And I'm not the cooking kind, but fucking look at me." She tried to steal the bread back but he lifted his arm into the air, amused that she could no longer reach. Sighing as the bell rung again, Anna pushed at Stephen's chest. "Just keep them busy."

"Try no' to set anything on fire." Anna hit Stephen on the arm as he backed up out of the room with a grin on his face. He strode through the house, making sure his hair was spiked up just right before he pulled the front door open.

"Bloody hell, take your time. It's freezing out here." Stu nudged Lara forward and pushed past Stephen, rubbing his hands together to warm himself up.

"Anna was keeping me occupied," Stephen replied, taking Lara's coat as she shrugged it off her shoulders.

Stu grimaced at his friend, "Too much information, mate."

"Stu, shut up," Lara frowned at her husband then held out the bottle of wine she had brought to accompany dinner. "Here you go."

"Thank yeh." Stephen didn't take the bottle; instead he patted Stu on the shoulder and gestured for him to follow him through the house. He turned to Lara before stepping past her, "Anna's in the kitchen."

She scowled at Stephen; Anna was right about his mood swings. She shook her head and snatched her coat back, turning on her heels then quickly walked to the kitchen. "Need a hand?"

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" Anna stopped what she was doing to hug her friend briefly, not wanting to let anything burn.

"I had no choice." Lara smiled, placing the bottle of wine in her hand onto the counter. "What's wrong with Stephen?"

"What do you mean?" Anna glanced over her shoulder as she carefully pulled the chicken out of the oven.

"Never mind," Lara muttered; if things were fine between Anna and Stephen, she didn't want to ruin that.

"Please can you just see to dinner whilst I slip into my dress? I'll be a few minutes, thank you." She didn't leave any time for her friend to respond, she was already out of the door.

Lara set her coat down on the small dining table at the far side of the kitchen. She was proud that Anna had actually done all of this on her own, she was also a little surprised that she had gone through with cooking everything from scratch. Anna didn't lie, a few minutes later she appeared back in the kitchen. She had changed into her hot pink, one shouldered Michael Kors dress in record time.

"Everything smells so good." Lara complimented her friend on her out of the blue cooking skills, although she had yet to taste anything.

"Thank you, but I won't be doing this again. I don't know how you do it."

"I'm a natural." Lara smirked, pouring two glasses of wine; one for herself and one for Alex when she arrived.

"Has Stu said anything about you know what?"Anna whispered as the doorbell rang. "Can you get that, it must be Alex."

"No, that's actually Tommy being a dick."

Anna and Lara jumped at the sound of Alex's voice, both asking how she had gotten in seeing both of their husbands were sat on the couch watching some sports channel.

"Someone forgot to lock the door," Alex replied, dropping three boxes of Vosges' famous chocolate truffles right next to the open bottle of wine. "Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"Not if you consider who's in this house with us," Lara said under her breath.

"Stephen! Can you not do anything I tell you?"

"What now, lass?" he groaned lazily. Turning towards the kitchen, his eyes widened in surprise at seeing Alex wave her fingers at him teasingly.

"Someone's in trouble," Tommy said with a low chuckle, finally making his presence known. "Which one of you is the idiot that didn't lock the door?"

Stephen and Stu glanced at one another before shrugging it off, standing up to welcome the new arrivals.

"Alex, do you not have any clean dresses?" Stu asked, looking the brunette up and down. "Oh wait," snapping his fingers as if he's just realised something. "You're not the shopping fiend known as Anna."

Alex raised her eyebrows in response, turning around to face Lara, who was shaking her head at her husband, and Anna who had her fists clenched against the countertop, clearly irritated with the Brit. "Now I know why," Alex muttered. "And for your information Stu, I came home late from work."

"Definitely stick with the pants," Lara said, patting her friend on the shoulder. Even Anna let out a snort, breaking through the tension that settled in the room.

The three guys shared curious looks, none quite sure about what their wives were going on about, a fact that didn't settle quite well with them. Tommy was set to ask what they were missing but ended up being shooed out of the kitchen by Anna, telling them that dinner will be ready in a few minutes.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for dinner, Anna," Lara smiled, the rim of her glass near her lips, waiting to take another sip of wine. "It was excellent."<p>

"I wouldn't go that far." Stu laughed, making Lara nudge him with her elbow.

"Yeh did a grand job, lass." Stephen had his hand resting over Anna's. He kissed her cheek, letting her soak in the compliment for a moment. "Now if yeh don' mind, we've got some things to discuss."

"Right now?" Alex asked, disappointment lingering in her tone. They had all been swept into normality for a while, enjoying the company of friends without having to second guess where or what their husbands were doing.

"We haven't had dessert yet." Anna pouted, glancing around the table. She knew Tommy and Stu were dying to leave the table, not wanting to see what else she had in store for them.

"You mean the chocolates Alex bought?" Tommy raised his brows, wondering if he was missing something and Anna had actually baked a pie.

"Just go," Lara waved her hand at Stu, shooing him away as he impatiently shuffled on his seat. He was worse than Charlie sometimes. The Englishman gave an appreciative smile, kissed her temple and grabbed onto the cigar set down next to his empty plate. He nodded towards his two colleagues, motioning for them to follow him outside onto the patio for a smoke.

"I guess the dessert is for us then," Alex mused, watching Lara down her wine.

"I'm completely okay with that." Anna got up from the table, disappearing into the kitchen to grab the boxes of truffles. She returned, opening them up and spending plenty of time to deliberate on which one she would eat first. Alex's hand slammed the box closed before her friend could pick a piece of the chocolate goodness up.

"Why don't we reward ourselves with these after we've cleaned up?"

"I've been slaving all fucking day," Anna protested, "I deserve this." She batted Alex's hand away and stole a milk chocolate truffle from the box, chewing slowly to relish in the flavour. Lara laughed, beginning to stack the empty plates, ready to be washed up. She glanced out of the window, their husbands having a good laugh over a glass of scotch and a cigar. It irked her how Stu couldn't be bothered to make the effort to get along with Anna, even with all the effort that she had put in to creating an edible dinner. She wondered if he actually cared that it was hurting her; he couldn't make it one day without making a sarcastic comment towards her friend. Alex knocked her out of her thoughts by taking the plates off of her and placing them in the hot water in the sink.

"I'll do it," she said politely to which Lara nodded, walking into the living room. It wasn't long before something alarming had caught her attention on the television.

"What the fuck?" Lara stared at the screen, her focus on the tagline running across the bottom of the news channel. The reporter spoke of the recent crime rates in the city, mentioning candidly about an attack which had taken place earlier in the week. The still photograph in the top right hand corner of the screen showed a man with long dark hair and light stubble, a smirk on his face. Every word which left the reporter's mouth sounded too quiet in her ears; that was until she uttered his name. _Drew McIntyre_. Lara caught the eye of Alex in the kitchen, beckoning her over frantically. "First the internet, now the local news...What's next?"

"That's Drew." Alex recalled with a hushed tone as she dried her hands on a towel. She wanted to act surprised but something in her knew that this was going to be bigger than an internet article, especially after witnessing first-hand the extent of the man's injuries. Anna followed behind, a fresh glass of wine in her hand. She was supposed to be relaxing after putting on a successful dinner party, but the mention of Drew's name had stressed her out more than she could have imagined.

"Oh my god, that's the guy?"

The three women stood in front of the television, eyes fixated on the report. They had switched from the studio to the place where the attack had taken place; a male reporter was walking down the alleyway where Drew was found as he spoke to the camera. They heard raucous laughter as the back door opened and the men walked through the house, chattering away. Stu laughed when Lara met his gaze; her eyes were glossy, her jaw slackened.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wondering what it was that had pissed her off so quickly.

"Oh it's just...I've seen that man before," she waved it off, trying to make it seem as though she hadn't seen him battering Drew with her own eyes. "Like, around town."

Stu looked sceptical as he was joined by Tommy and Stephen. Lara turned her attention back to the television; the reporter gave a warning before showing a split screen of Drew prior to and after the attack. Anna gasped at the damage, her hand covering her mouth in shock. Alex sighed, glancing at Tommy, who stood with an unreadable expression on his face and his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"That's horrible, poor guy."

"He should've been more careful," Stu laughed, coaxing Stephen and Tommy to chuckle along. The women couldn't believe that they could act like they had nothing to do with it. They knew the truth, and yet, telling them what they knew would implicate everyone involved. It was becoming increasingly difficult to build on the lies that they had already told.

Lara shook her head in disbelief at her husband's crass comment, "What?" he turned to her, a smirk set firm on his lips. No, there was no remorse there. Not even an ounce of it.

"Well, come on, any sane person knows not to hang around Goose Island late at night," Stu spoke confidently, prompting agreement from the two other men in the room. "The place is crawling with thugs."

"How can you be so heartless?" Anna shouted, "The guy is fighting for his life!"

"We don't know him personally, Anna..." Alex defended, trying to calm her down so she wouldn't blurt out anything that could ruin everything they had salvaged. "Do we?"

"I suppose."

"What's gotten into yeh lately?" Stephen spoke up, at a loss as to why his wife had gotten so riled up about a person she knew little about. She met his cold gaze and took a deep breath.

"Nothing, it's just sad."

"I wonder if the police will catch whoever did this."

"Not likely," Tommy muttered under his breath, smirking at the fact that the police had no leads. "The reporter said whoever did this covered their tracks pretty well." The amused look the men shared didn't go unnoticed by Alex.

"I don't understand why you lot think this is all a big joke." She was coming to the end of her tether, and figured that she should stop before she said something she would regret. Tommy came to stand next to her, his arm slung over her shoulders as he pulled her close to his chest.

"It's Chicago, Alex. Things like this happen all the time."

His brazen words echoed in her mind. _Things like this happen all the time._ In their seedy little world, maybe; and if so, how many other people had they beaten to the pulp? How many people had they killed?

"I feel sick," Anna announced, her hand clutching her stomach.

"Too much chocolate an' wine, eh lass?" Stephen laughed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She glanced at everyone one-by-one, noticing Lara shake her head. _Don't do it_, she urged. _Don't you dare say anything_.

"Yeah," she agreed finally, "and then there's the pressure of entertaining."

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you Blackhat, xj0j0x, xFindTheEnigmaWithinx and Menaji for the lovely reviews :). Lou, Katie and Mox x**


	12. Know Your Role

**Know Your Role**

Anna stared at the shopping bags surrounding her. She had tried so very hard to quit her habit, but after driving past the shops on her way to the range, she had been sucked back in. Stu's teasing comments, spurred on by Stephen, had pushed her to curb her spending habits. There was nothing she wanted to do more than prove them wrong. First stepping into Agent Provocateur, she had told herself to just get a little something; with Stephen in mind of course. But as soon as she handed that shiny black credit card over she had lost all control. Four hours and thousands of dollars later, she was washed with guilt.

Part of her mind told her to shove everything in the back of the closet and forget, but Stephen would see the bill anyway. It was useless. Glancing around the bedroom she contemplated slipping into the new lingerie she had bought, causing a brilliant distraction from the bags full of clothes. A smirk crept to her lips; that was exactly what she was going to do.

Grabbing hold of all of the bags, she rushed through to the walk-in wardrobe and set them down. She pulled the goodies she had purchased out of the bag and tore at the black tissue paper they were wrapped in. After changing into the new garments and touching up her makeup, Anna stood in front of the mirror making sure she looked perfect.

The black lace matching bra and panties with baby pink undertones had set her back quite a bit, but she knew Stephen would approve. In her eyes that was justification for buying them.

Figuring she would have some time to spare, Anna slowly made her way down the staircase, wondering what to do to pass the time. However she didn't have to wait long to get what she wanted; she smirked as she heard the front door open, slowing stalking down the hallway waiting to see her husband. Her smirk quickly faded as she heard more than Stephen's voice. Stu and Tommy were with him. Dashing into the kitchen, Anna pulled her heels off so she wouldn't make a noise on the tiled floor. She stayed put in the middle of the room, hearing the voices of her husband and his friends get louder with each passing second. She looked around, eyeing the door to the pantry just behind her. Cursing under her breath she scurried into the pantry, quietly closing the door behind her. The only reason they would come in there was for Jell-o, and she didn't quite see that happening.

"It felt good showing Drew that we don't take things lightly." Tommy grinned, running a hand over his bruised knuckles. The satisfaction of making a man face his consequences was extremely high.

Stephen laughed, nodding in agreement with his friend. "Damn right there, fella."

"Look, this is only worth it if we send a message to Del Rio. He needs to know he can't fuck us around." Stu hissed, getting angry at just the thought of the slime.

"We beat Drew within an inch of his life, if Del Rio doesn't take that as a warning then there's only one thing that will do it." Anna covered her mouth with her hand, mentally shouting at herself not to gasp at Tommy's words.

"Here's the money yeh wanted." Stephen handed a thick envelope over to Stu, who looked inside, flicking through the crisp one hundred dollar bills.

"Surprised you have any left, mate," Stu raised his eyebrows. Another jab at Anna's spending habits. "Maybe you should take your credit cards back?"

"It keeps her happy, and busy," Stephen shook his head, confused as to why Stu was worried about his money and how quickly his wife was spending it. "And as long as it keeps her off me back, then Ah don' care."

Anna scowled at Stephen's words, feeling like she had just taken a punch to the gut. She suddenly felt ridiculous in the new lingerie she had bought. If he wanted her off his back, he would get just that. The ringing of a phone brought her out of her thoughts.

"That's Lara, she'll be wondering where I am," Stu murmured, rejecting the phone call from his wife. "I said I'd be back an hour ago."

"Best go before you get into trouble," Tommy quipped, laughing with Stephen.

"Right," Stu shoved the envelope of money into the pocket inside his jacket. "And where is Alex this evening?"

"Working," Tommy grumbled, running a hand over the stubble lining his jaw. "Phil's making her stay."

Stephen shook his head at the look of trepidation on his friend's face, "Get her out of there before it's too late."

"You try telling her that," Tommy snapped, annoyed that he had little to no control over Alex's job. "We've had this conversation before, and right now it's just not going to happen."

Stu and Stephen remained silent, deciding to drop the subject and not press Tommy any more. "Look, we'll go." Stu nodded to Tommy before slapping Stephen on the back. "See you later."

Anna continued take quiet steady breaths as she heard the men retreat out of the room. With her heels clutched against her chest, she gently prised the door open. She relaxed a little when she could see with her own eyes that the room was in fact empty. Peeking around the door into the hallway, she couldn't see anyone. As quick as she could she rushed upstairs, adrenaline pumping around her body.

She stepped into the bedroom, hands shaking and breathing still unsteady. For a few minutes she didn't know what to do with herself. Contemplating finding Stephen, she sighed and closed her eyes.

She yelped as she felt hands at her waist, whipping around she saw Stephen looking startled and confused. "Give me a heart attack why don't you!" Anna snapped, receiving a glare from her husband.

"Sorry, lass," his features softened as his gaze travelled across the length of her body, taking in her attire. "Yeh always walk around dressed like this?"

Anna turned around, Stephen's words from earlier still sounding in her head. "Not anymore," she mumbled under her breath.

She felt him behind her again, his big hands brushing her long hair over her shoulder. His arms wrapped around her waist, hands gently skimming over her toned stomach. They tightened around her, stopping her from going anywhere. "Ah like this look verra much." His lips grazed her neck and she writhed against him, wanting out of his hold. His grip tightened as his kisses moved to her collarbone. She shivered with delight, annoyed that her body was reacting to Stephen's actions.

"Ste, stop it," Anna spoke through gritted teeth, her small hands gripping onto his thick forearms.

"Yeh kidding, right?" She stepped out of his hold as soon as his grip loosened. "Anna?"

Anna shook her head, running a hand through her hair. Her chest tightened, anxiety taking over her body. "Please," she dared to look over her shoulder, regretting it as soon as her eyes locked with Stephen's. "Just leave me alone." Anna hurried across to the closet, rushing inside and slamming the door behind her without a look back.

Staring back at her was the mountain of shopping bags amassed during her spree that afternoon. Rushing over to the bags she gathered them up, her vision quickly blurred by the tears now falling freely. She slumped down to the floor, pulling her legs to her body to rest her head on her knees. More than anything she wanted things to go back to how it used to be; before she knew what her husband could do to another man without feeling any regret.

Hearing the door open, she wanted to somehow make herself disappear. "Anna..." Stephen sat down beside her, and she couldn't help but cry even harder. "Tell me what's wrong?"

Feeling Stephen's arms wrap around her, Anna no longer fought back. She settled herself into the warm embrace. His hand rubbed circles over her back, trying to calm her down so he could figure out what was wrong with her.

Wiping at her eyes, she eventually looked up, shimmering grey eyes staring back at her. They were full of concern and worry. "Tell me," Stephen spoke again, his hand reaching to cup her face, his thumb stroking away tears that continued to slip down her blushed cheeks.

"I overheard you talking to the guys," Anna watched his jaw tense. He looked away from her briefly before turning back. "I put this on to surprise you and, well, I didn't expect you to bring anyone home."

"What Ah said-" Stephen started talking but she quickly interrupted him.

"Yeah I get it; I'm a pain in your ass." Referring to what he had said to Tommy and Stu, Anna felt her heart ache a little bit more.

"Ah only said those things to shut them up," Stephen pressed his lips to Anna's, hoping she would believe him. "Honestly, lass."

Anna didn't say a word; she just stared back at him, feeling like a complete failure. She wondered if he could read it on her features. "What else did yeh hear?" Stephen immediately knew the answer when she ducked her head slightly, avoiding his gaze.

"I'm not going to apologise for what I heard, this is our house." Anna finally looked upwards, her words strong but her eyes were still glassy with tears.

Stephen sighed, trying to put things together in his head. "Jus' let me explain."

"Explain what? That you almost killed someone?" He shook his head, not quite believing that she would just put things so bluntly. Yes, it was the truth, but hearing it from his wife didn't sit well with him.

"Things got ou' o' hand, that's all." Stephen's hand was still cupped around her face, thumb gently stroking her cheek.

"You sure sounded like you regretted it." Anna mumbled then suddenly wished she had stayed quiet as Stephen scoffed at her words.

"Yeh don' know any o' me business. Yeh going to stay quiet abou' this, got it?" Again his mood had shifted. As soon as 'business' was mentioned he tensed up and pushed her away.

"I won't say anything," Anna said, making Stephen smile lightly, his mood returning to loving husband. She wouldn't be saying anything to anyone; other than Alex and Lara, of course. She would go crazy if she didn't.

* * *

><p>The obnoxious buzzing of an alarm clock broke through the silence of the bedroom, groans from the bodies intertwined beneath the covers responding to the sound.<p>

Tommy raised his head, glaring at the bright red numbers flashing under the dim light. "You have got to be fucking kidding me," he grumbled, throwing one arm across his head while the other held on tightly to his wife. "You come home late, and now you have to be up at this ungodly hour so you can leave earlier for work?"

"Now you know how I feel," Alex replied, her voice laden with sleep. "Just a few more weeks, then we're back on regular schedule. I promise."

"You better be filing for a vacation."

"Oh trust me," she said with a low chuckle. "I'm already picking out places I want to go to."

Pressing a soft kiss to his bare chest, she wiggled out of his embrace. Throwing the covers off of her, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, stretching her arms up to work the kinks out of her shoulders and back. He took the time to let his eyes wander, the silk of her nightgown clinging to every curve, his mouth going dry at the sight of her, softly framed in the early morning light filtering through the curtains.

"Don't even think about it."

Tommy snapped his head up, his wide eyes meeting Alex's knowing gaze. "I can't help it," he said with a smirk. He rolled over to his side and propped himself up on one elbow, his eyes now shining with mischief. "Have you seen yourself in the mirror?"

She shook her head at his question, laughing softly as she rose off the bed. "Do you want some breakfast?" She asked.

"I'll take care of it," he replied, getting out of bed himself. "You get ready."

* * *

><p>"Right so let me get this straight," Stu trailed off as he followed Lara through the house. "You're going out to lunch with Anna. Just...Anna?" Yes, she could see how the prospect seemed odd to her husband. When Anna had called her up not even ten minutes ago, unusually cool-headed, she gladly accepted her offer of lunch on her; well, lunch on Stephen. She would have done anything to get out of the house for an hour or so, having had enough of Charlie's whining and the television being locked on children's programmes.<p>

She turned to Stu after checking her makeup in the mirror, deciding not to address the trepidation in his voice.

"Yeah, why is that so difficult to believe?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I just thought that Alex would tag along too seeing as the three of you seem to be joined at the hip lately."

"She's working through her lunch. Her boss is kind of a ball buster."

"So I keep hearing," Stu deadpanned, running a hand through his hair. "It's a bit impromptu though, don't you think?"

"It's lunch, Stu, it doesn't need meticulous planning," she answered with a condescending tone to her voice, making sure that he heard her clearly. It seemed to bother him that she was leaving without any warning. He sighed; perhaps this was a taste of his own medicine for all the times he had up and left for late night work. Lara turned to him, taking a gentle hold of his large hands, rubbing her thumbs over his skin soothingly. "Besides, it'll be good for you and Charlie if you were to spend some time alone together." She dropped his hands upon seeing the outraged look on his face, and disappeared from the hallway.

"I don't see enough of my son now?"

"You know you don't. You drop everything to go to work," she said pointedly as she searched for her keys in the living room. The located keys jingled in her hand as she went to place them in her pocket. "It's just you and him so if work calls then you need to tell your boss that you can't do his dealings for once. Our boy needs you more than you know."

Stu scoffed, muttering under his breath as Lara came back into the hallway. "If only it were that easy..."

He could hear her chattering away, reeling off things he needed to remember like he was Charlie's babysitter, not his father. Her words were going in one ear and out the other as he thought about how tense she had become recently. It was his job to be stressed, not hers. He was brought back to reality when she playfully shoved him in the chest.

"And you are not pawning our baby off to the neighbours either, especially not mean Mark Henry next door," she wagged her finger at him as if he were a child, "I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, and let me tell you, that is not far. At all."

"I'm not going to do that, Lara. You're right, Charlie needs me." At least he admitted that she was right; that only happened once in a blue moon so it was certainly a moral victory. She nodded in agreement, watching him as he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I could take him swimming." Without any bout of hesitancy, Lara nodded again with a smile.

"Do it, you promised him weeks ago that you would."

Stu looked over at their son, sat on the rug in front of the television, happily playing with his trucks.

"How about that buddy, huh?" He called, Charlie turning his head to see his father. "You want me to take you swimming this afternoon?"

The toddler got to his feet immediately, "Yeah!" He zoomed past the pair of them, running off into his bedroom with a little squeal of excitement. Lara laughed, turning back to the Englishman to give him more specific instructions.

"His trunks are in the drawer, and his Nemo towel is in the linen closet, alright?"

Ah, _Finding Nemo_: the bane of the parents' lives for the past couple of months. Lara was glad to be leaving the house before Charlie insisted on watching the movie for the twelve thousandth time that week. She was convinced that was why Brigette had requested more time off too, after the little boy decided that 'Nemo' was his new favourite word, and that was mainly because he liked to accentuate the vowels. Stu smiled reassuringly at his wife, placing his hands on her shoulders and squeezing them lightly between his fingers.

"I know all of this already, love, you need to stop worrying and let me be the parent too."

"I'm just so used to you not being around," Stu pursed his lips together in a thin line, trying to mask his disappointment. She could tell that her words had affected him in the wrong way. "I'm sorry, baby. That came out much worse than I intended it to."

"It's," he paused, processing what she had let slip. "It's okay. I kind of deserved that."

His sullen words ended on a deep sigh. This afternoon was a great opportunity for him and his son to bond further, and make up for lost time; he needed to focus on his family for everyone's sake. His hands slipped down her arms and eventually stroked over her waist, pulling her to him possessively. She steadied herself by bracing her hands on his broad shoulders. A small smile graced his lips before he leaned down, taking her lips in a tender and loving kiss. All of the worry seemed to float out of her mind, and she felt more protected than ever; ironic, given what he was hiding from her. She was the first to pull away, giving him a sweet peck before smirking at him.

"Don't forget your Speedos," Stu's eyes narrowed, his brows furrowed in confusion. He couldn't detect one note of sarcasm in her voice.

"You know I don't own a pair of Speedos, Lara."

"Then what's been hiding in my underwear drawer all this time?" Her question earned her a laugh. He hoped she was referring to the handcuffs and various silk scarves cleverly concealed at the bottom of the bedside table's drawer, not some budgie smugglers that she had bought for him as a joke.

"Do you really want to go there?"

"No," she abruptly answered him, a smirk still etched on her features. "But it's best you don't wear those anyway, especially not in public. You'd get arrested for indecent exposure." She giggled, nodding towards his crotch. Stu followed her gaze and couldn't help but shake his head at her silly schoolgirl antics.

"Oh, it would be decent..." He quipped, pulling her hard against him and raining kisses over her neck. Her arms were locked behind her back to stop her from getting away easily.

"I have to go," she sniggered, his playful kisses tickling her skin. He felt her wriggle out of his grip to say her goodbyes to their son, before slipping her trench coat on. She opened the front door, turning back to her husband with a salacious smirk. "Have fun!"

"We will," Stu grinned, moving to the living room window to see her get into her car and pull out of the driveway. He followed her actions through the half-closed blinds, not even noticing Charlie running into the room.

"Daddy, I want to bring Nemo swimming!"

Stu whipped around as Charlie began climbing on the couch in a failed attempt to reach his father's eyes line. "What's that, mate?"

"Nemo!" He shouted, pushing his hands out to reveal a large stuffed toy of the clownfish. His hopeful smile was unmistakable.

"You can't take him in the water."

"But he is a fishie..."

"Yes but he's a special fish, isn't he?" Stu said, crouching by the arm of the couch to get to a more realistic eye level. "If you get him wet you'll ruin him, and then how would we ever get you to fall asleep at night?"

"Please, daddy?" He hugged the stuffed toy close to his small body, rocking it from side to side like a baby. The Englishman sighed; his son had the same dark eyes as his mother, and of course they wore him down like they always did.

"Okay, he can come along for the ride but he's staying in the car when we get to the pool." Charlie threw his toy up in the air in celebration, unable to catch it before it hit Stu on the head. He feigned hurt, gathering the toddler up in his arms. "Come on then, let's get your stuff together and we can go. Hey, maybe I'll even treat you to a Happy Meal afterwards if you're good." Bribery was much easier with a young child than it was with a drug dealer or an uncooperative rogue, plus he didn't see the harm in giving Charlie exactly what he wanted, even if it was just for one afternoon.

"Nuggets!" He cheered, his arms wrapping tighter around Stu's neck as he walked through the house.

"Yeah, nuggets," he chuckled, "Just don't tell your mum."

* * *

><p>Alex took a sip of the energy drink she had swiped from Tommy's stash, forcing the liquid down her throat. She could never understand how he could gulp the things down like they were water; the taste was definitely not appealing to her palette. But with how her schedule had been the past few days, she needed something to help keep her going.<p>

The day after driving Karen off to the hospital to see Drew, the redhead had gone to work with a brave face on. But it was clear to everyone in the office, including Phil, that she was unable to focus on doing any actual work. He had ended up telling her to go back home, giving her indefinite time off to deal with her personal matters, much to Karen's chagrin. She had argued that being at work gave her something to put her mind on other than the physical state of her boyfriend, but it was easily refuted by her unfocused behaviour.

It was one of the few times since starting work with the company that Alex was reminded that Phil was actually human. Seeing the sympathy in his expression as he explained to Karen why it was better for her to go home or go to the hospital rather than come to work showing that he wasn't the huge asshole that he was most of the time. But while the redhead got an indefinite amount of time to get her bearings straight, Alex had ended up with her share of the work, resulting in earlier starts and late nights, made worse by the fact that it meant spending more time with her boss.

"Not holding up too well, huh?"

Alex turned her head towards her office door, surprised to see Karen leaning against it. "Hey," she greeted warmly. "What are you doing here?"

"I feel guilty that my work ended up getting dumped on you," she started. "So I asked Phil if it was alright for me to take home some of the stuff. I can work on them on my own time at least. And he agreed so I'm just here to pick them up. I figured I'd come see you."

"Are you sure you're okay to work?" Alex asked, her brows furrowing in worry.

"I need something else to do other than wait at home for news or sit at the hospital and listening to those damned machines beeping," Karen replied. "I know I've said it a million times but I really just want to say thank you again."

"Stop. It's really no problem," the brunette said with a warm smile. "I'm sure you would have done the same for anyone."

"How about you let me thank you one last time?" She offered. "Want to grab some lunch with me? My treat."

"Karen, you really don't have to."

"Oh come on, Alex. I highly doubt that energy drink will keep you going for the rest of the day," she said with a chuckle. "And by the look of disgust on your face, I don't think you'd want to rely on it so much."

"Alright, you twisted my arm," Alex said with a chuckle of her own. "Is Phil still in a meeting?"

"Yeah," Karen said. "I already told him I was planning to take you out to lunch so he won't go crazy if he goes to find you and you're not here."

Alex nodded in response, throwing her phone in her purse as she stood up from her office chair. "Let's go then."

The two women chatted idly as they walked out of the office. Karen had offered to drive, promising to drop her off as well after lunch. The redhead had gone on and on about a restaurant that she had wanted to check out for some time, glad to finally have the opportunity to go.

Alex was well aware of the particular restaurant, having gone there several times with Anna and Lara, and even had a private dinner date between her and Tommy there once or twice. When the car pulled to a stop, her suspicions were only confirmed as to where they were eating.

"Do you mind if I grab a smoke before going in?" Karen asked as they got out of the car.

"Not at all," Alex replied with a shake of her head. "I'll keep you company."

She let her eyes wander up and down the street, admiring the colours of the Chicago autumn, as the redhead lit up a cigarette. Alex's gaze turned to look inside the restaurant, checking how busy it was when she noticed two familiar heads in the lunch crowd. A lump had immediately formed in her throat when the waiter had moved away from the table to give her a clearer view, now certain that it was Anna and Lara that she was seeing.

Any other time, she would have gladly joined her two friends, perhaps even inviting whoever she was with to join them. But with Karen's identity still very much in question with her odd relationship with Phil and her involvement with Drew, Alex was hesitant to bring them all together.

"Okay, I'm good," Karen said, stubbing out the cigarette with the ball of her shoe. "Let's head inside and out of this cold."

* * *

><p>Anna snapped her fingers in the air and pointed to the table, getting the waiter's attention.<p>

"I wish you wouldn't do that," Lara mumbled under her breath as she watched the young man quickly approach the table.

"A bottle of your finest red wine, please," Anna smiled at the man, who nodded and left to get what she wanted. "It would be nice to have a man so attentive."

"What?" Lara frowned at her friend's statement. She wasn't quite sure what Anna and Stephen's relationship held behind closed doors. There was no denying that they loved each other, but they were both hot and cold, moods changing as drastically as Anna's wardrobe did.

"Ste wants me to spend his money; he thinks it gets me off his back." Anna knew where she was going with this. She was going to tell her everything she had heard and now knew.

Lara shook her head, not believing that Stephen would so bluntly tell his wife something like that. "He said that to you?"

"Not directly," she bit her lip, trying to decide how to approach the subject. "Okay, I was walking around the house and waiting for Stephen in the new lingerie I had bought."

The waiter clearing his throat stopped Anna's story; she glanced to see the waiter who had returned with a bottle wine. He smiled before announcing, "Dom Romanee Conti, one thousand dollars." The bottle was held out to them and the blonde didn't hesitate to pluck it from the waiter's fingertips.

"Perfect." She shooed the waiter away, eager to carry on her conversation without anyone else around.

"One thousand dollars? Are you insane?" Lara uttered as she watched her friend pour the liquid into the glasses already set on the table.

"If Stephen wants me to spend his money then I'm going all out," she placed the bottle in the middle of the table and picked up the glass by the thin stem. "Cheers."

With the alcohol flowing, Anna continued to tell Lara exactly what had happened the previous day. From her every purchase at the mall to her stakeout in the pantry. Though she wanted to tell Lara that Stephen knew she had heard the conversations, she was a little reluctant. Known for being the one who got caught or let things slip, she didn't want to be a let down again. But she had to tell her; she would go crazy if she didn't.

"I had a mini breakdown in my closet too," Lara shook her head; still trying to take in everything she had just been told. "I told Stephen I heard everything."

"What?" Lara shouted, catching the attention of the tables around them. She ducked her head and tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear, hoping that by the time she looked up everyone would have gone back to what they were doing.

"He doesn't know that you and Alex know. He only thinks I know because of what I've overheard."

She picked up her glass of wine, taking a large gulp in hope that Anna's rambling would somehow make sense. "I still can't believe that they don't care."

"Maybe we should drop this topic," Anna suggested, seeing how uneasy her friend had suddenly become. Lara nodded in agreement but unable to think of anything else now.

"So," Anna blew a steady breath through her lips. "The nanny has Charlie?"

"No, Stu does," she took another long sip of wine after those words. Stu was an excellent father, but the time he spent with Charlie recently had been dwindling.

"Really? That should be interesting," the blonde mused.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, he would rather meet Ste and Tommy than spend time with his son." Anna was only recalling conversations they'd had, but she saw the disappointment in her friend's eyes. "I'm sorry. I wish it was different for all of us."

"Oh look, there's Alex!" Lara grinned as she saw her friend outside of the restaurant. She watched Anna set down her glass of wine so she could wave furiously at her.

Anna's smiled dropped as Alex's eyes widened at the sight of her friends. She frowned before quickly turning away, a little startled that they had ended up at the same restaurant.

"Did she just-"

"She's ignoring us!" Anna gasped, wondering just what the hell they had done to receive such a reaction.

"Who is that she's with?" Lara muttered, not recognising the red haired woman that was accompanying her.

"She's cheating on us," Anna concluded, not once taking her eyes off Alex who was still stood with her back to them.

* * *

><p>Alex hoped that her odd behaviour wouldn't be so obvious, letting out a sigh of relief under her breath at seeing Karen talking to the hostess about her seating preferences. The hostess was quick enough to agree, extending her arm out to show them to their table.<p>

She let Karen walk ahead, holding in a breath when she noticed that they were heading in the direction of Anna and Lara's table. She grew curious when she heard the scoff bubble from the redhead, her head tilted high as they passed by her friends. Alex could see the question in their eyes, wondering why she had ignored them when Anna had waved her over.

"Hey Karen," she called out, hoping that her friends will get the hint. "Did Phil tell you about that new client?"

"What new client?" The redhead asked, turning her head slightly to look behind her.

"Oh, never mind," Alex waved off as they finally sat down. "I think it was Erica's charge. Sorry, my head's a mess."

"I swear, I'm gonna take as much work as I can home to help take the load off you."

"You have other things to deal with," the brunette said ruefully. "Speaking of which, how is Drew?"

From the corner of her eyes, Alex could see her two friends sit up straighter, eyes wide. If Anna and Lara were still clueless after saying Karen and Phil's names out loud, she was sure the identity of who she was dining with was clear as day now.

Karen lifted her head from perusing the menu, her lips pursed, one brow raised, giving her a seemingly indignant air. "I don't really want to discuss it given that we're out in public. It's really a private matter and I'd rather keep it that way. You just don't know what kind of leeches are crawling about."

The venom in Karen's voice had Alex's eyebrows shooting up in surprise, not quite sure what had gotten into her co-worker. "Is something wrong?"

The redhead turned her head from side to side, looking to see if anyone was too close and able to hear what she was saying. The tables closest to them were empty but it didn't stop her from leaning forward and speaking in hushed tones. "See those two over there?" She asked, her head subtly nodding in Anna and Lara's direction. "I know them."

"You do?" Alex said, hoping her nervousness wasn't apparent in her voice.

"Well," Karen started. "I know of them. But of what I do know, it's safe to say I won't be going over there any time soon and try to be friends. I kind of hate them. No, wait. I do hate them."

"Hate is too strong a word if you don't really know them, isn't it?"

Karen scoffed at Alex's diplomatic query. "Really? I heard the blonde got married to some guy just for his money, and she's off shopping and doing absolutely nothing on her free time. I wouldn't be surprised if that was all she was good at. She looks stupid to me." _Well, that's not true_, Alex thought.

She was all too grateful when a waiter approached them to take their orders, the brunette taking no time in placing hers while Karen politely asked what he would recommend for her. But as soon as he had left to fetch their drinks, the redhead had started up on her tirade again.

"And the brunette, oh god, don't get me started on that cheating wench," she groaned. "My boyfriend's boss actually knew her. I think they were even supposed to get married or something but she goes and gets knocked up by some other guy and gets married to him instead." _And that couldn't be further from the truth_, Alex said in her mind.

She didn't quite know how to respond to what Karen had been saying about her friends or that little detail about working with someone from Lara's past. She had no doubt that she was talking about Del Rio, wondering how she had gotten involved with someone on his payroll, her mind swimming with troubling thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Karen said. "I don't want to spoil our lunch but those two really just grate on my nerves."

"It's okay. Let's just forget about it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you Menaji, xj0j0x, Blackhat, Colourful Raging Cancer and xFindTheEnigmaWithinx for the great reviews :) Lou, Katie and Mox **


	13. Fear And Loathing

_**Fear And Loathing**_

"Do you want anything to drink?" Anna asked, wanting to make Lara feel at home. After leaving the restaurant, they didn't know what to say about what they had seen and heard.

"Yes please, all that wine wasn't a good idea." Lara pressed her palm to her forehead. All the things she had heard in the last couple of hours were still resting heavy on her mind.

"It was at the time," the blonde laughed, setting her bag down on the kitchen counter.

"Ah thought Ah heard voices," Anna turned on the spot to see Stephen, "Yeh have a nice lunch?"

"It was lovely," Lara blurted out before her friend could say anything. She tapped her fingers on the countertop, watching Anna bite her bottom lip to stop herself from speaking.

"Actually lass," Stephen pointed towards Lara who immediately stood upright, "Ah can't get in touch wit' Stu, yeh know where he is?"

She smiled, so Stu had actually ignored work to be with Charlie. "He's spending the day with his son."

"A little heads up would've been nice," Stephen muttered under his breath as he moved across the room to the fridge.

"Something wrong?" Anna shared a worried look with Lara whilst waiting for her husband's reply.

The Irishman pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and gave her the once over. "Nothin' fer yeh to worry about."

"Well..." Anna breathed out and smiled, "We'll stay out of your way."

Stephen smirked, casually walking across to his wife. A quick kiss on the lips was all she received. "Ah'll see yeh ladies later."

As soon as he had left the room, Anna felt like she could relax a little. They needed a distraction; something to take their minds off what they had overheard during lunch. "How about we spend the rest of the day eating junk food and watching movies?"

"I think I could cope with that. Maybe I should ring Stu first and make sure he's okay," Lara pulled her coat off, resting it over her arm as she rooted through her bag for her phone.

"Lara, he'll be fine. He never rings you to see if you're okay." Anna stated, but it didn't sit well with the brunette. She just needed to know; it was a motherly thing.

"You wouldn't understand."

Shaking her head in defeat, Anna let Lara do as she pleased. She was right, she didn't understand. Lara held responsibilities that Anna often didn't think about. She didn't know what it was like to have a child, and even though it had often crossed her mind, she just wasn't sure if she and Stephen were ready.

Hearing Lara chat away on the phone, it seemed as though Stu was coping fine with Charlie. Should she have been this surprised? He was the boy's father, despite what was being whispered around town. Still a little shocked and dumbfounded that such things were being said, Anna wondered just where they had stemmed from. It was no secret she liked to shop, but had she married Stephen for his money? Hell no. Having come from a wealthy family, she was used to the finer things in life. The fact that Stephen's pockets were well-lined, well, that was just a coincidence.

* * *

><p>Throughout the course of her short life, Alex was quick to figure out that there wasn't much that she couldn't do. As long as she put her mind to it, she could do it. And it was during days like today when she's reminded that it still applied. Diving right into work and forgetting everything else seemed to be a recurring theme with her.<p>

Lunch with Karen had passed like a blur, barely registering anything else that the redhead may have mentioned, her focus solely on what was said about her friends and the questions that immediately took over her thoughts after hearing them. Her sudden hiring, Phil's quiet affection, her relationship with Drew, the connection with Del Rio – despite having very little to go on, Alex now felt incredibly right in being suspicious of Karen right from the get go.

Closing the ledger of reports sat on top of her desk, Alex stood up from her seat, willing herself to focus back on work. She stopped short just right outside her office door however, seeing how empty the office had been. Checking her watch, she wondered where most of the employees had gone, the office hours not set to end for at least another hour.

"Did I step into the twilight zone or something?" She asked as soon as she stepped into Phil's office.

"What?" He asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Over half of the employees are gone," Alex explained, handing him the reports she had blindly finished.

"Oh, that," he said flatly. "I sent someone to say everyone can go home early as long as they've done what they need to do. The same goes to you. Weren't you told?"

"I've been holed up in my office since I came back from lunch. I guess whoever you sent thought I'd already left. Why the early night?"

"Are you complaining?" Phil asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Well, no," Alex replied. "I've actually forgotten what it feels like to get home before 10PM. I think it calls for DVDs and a box of pizza."

"And here I thought you were gonna miss my company," he said, his tone now matching his salacious smirk.

"You wish," she huffed.

"That cuts deep," he said exaggeratedly, raising a hand to clutch over his heart.

Alex mentally gave herself a pat on the back, proud for carrying on a natural banter with her boss, though she could have done without the constant leering from his end.

"You still haven't answered my question."

"I have a meeting with a big client," Phil relented. "He likes to keep things between us until the deal is more concrete."

"And how is that going?"

"I have a great feeling that it's going to be soon," he said with a firm smile. "I'll introduce you to him then. Anyway, you can go."

"Don't you want to discuss the report?" Alex asked.

Phil eyed the ledger in front of him before answering. "No, I'll take a look myself. However, there are a couple of files on Karen's desk about the Folsom account. If you don't mind, take those home for some light reading."

"Right," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I knew I couldn't get off that easy. I'll see you tomorrow then. And good luck!"

Alex fought the shudder creeping up her spine when she saw the wink he sent her way, walking briskly to her office to grab her things and go. It was in her rush to leave that she had forgotten to pick up the stack of files on Karen's desk that Phil had wanted for her to take home, as well as grab her coat, something that the security guard at the front desk had politely pointed out.

"Miss Kincaid," he called out. "It looks like it's going to start raining. Is it smart for you to go out without a coat?"

Alex looked down to her arms, eyes meeting bare skin, gazing back at the man with a hint of a blush. "I guess I forgot a couple of things. I just wanted to go home already. Back up I go then."

Once she had gotten off the elevator, she wasn't so surprised to find that every single one of her co-workers had been gone. It was rare for any of them to get any light work, even rarer to be given early leave. Most of the lights had been shut off, giving the floor an eerie glow, but the light streaming from Phil's ajar office door shone brightly.

Alex shrugged on her coat as she stepped out of her office, walking over to Karen's desk to snatch the stack of files that she had been told to go over at home. Sliding the folders into her bag, she was all set to leave once again. She could faintly hear Phil's voice, seemingly talking to himself in glee. _I guess it was just a phone meeting, _she thought. _What's so important about that?_

"Karen's being well-taken care of, don't you worry," Phil said.

The mention of the redhead's name had caught Alex's attention, stopping her from leaving. Instead, she tiptoed closer to his door, trying to peer through the crack, curious as to what else she could possibly pick up.

"_Bueno. Now on to more important matters."_

"Yes," Phil said into the speaker. "I actually have a few investment proposals that I want to run by you."

"_Hang on. Proposals, you say? What makes you think I called you to talk about that?"_

Whatever it was that the person on the phone said had Phil flustered and stammering for a reply.

"_You thought I was calling about making you a partner, didn't you?"_

"If it wasn't that, what else is it?" Phil asked, his lips pressed into a firm line as he fell back against his chair. "Surely it wasn't just to check up on Karen. I'm sure she tells you enough."

"_Let me be honest with you, Philip. I don't trust you."_

"If you didn't trust me, why waste your time?" He asked, his jaw clenched tightly in frustration.

"_I may not trust you, but I can give you a chance to earn my trust. And then, we'll talk more."_

"What do you need?"

Through the small opening of the door, Alex could see the play of emotions on her boss' face. From curiosity to rapt attention to shock to anger – it had her wondering what was being said on the other end of the line.

"Are you crazy?" he exclaimed, his fist pounding against his desk. "Why would you need me to do that? You have a list of hired guns that you could pick from, why does it have to be me?"

"_Because you worked for him, with him, whatever you want to call it. The only way for me to trust you, is for you to sever your ties."_

"I can do that without having to do what you want me to," Phil said indignantly.

"_Do you honestly think that they'd let you do that? Especially when, at some point in time, your name starts popping up alongside mine? Pendejo. They've been watching you, did you know that? It's why everything has been done over phone or with my men. If you're seen __with __me, you're as good as dead. They'd come after you and believe me; no one will be able to find your body."_

"This is absurd! There has to be another way."

"_This isn't a regular pack of wolves you're dealing with, Philip. None of them are leaders; they're brothers-at-arms. If you take one down, the other two will go into a frenzy. And if they're not of sound mind, it makes it easier for the pickings. Wouldn't that be better? You'll not only become my partner but you'd be getting rid of the stiffest competition we've got. We'd rule Chicago and wherever else your little ships will land. Now what do you say?"_

"Alright," Phil replied after a long pause.

"_Let me hear you say it."_

"I will kill Stuart Bennett."

Alex clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling the gasp that desperately wanted to pass her lips, eyes wide at what she had heard. Phil was still talking to whoever it was on the phone but she had already heard enough, and if she got caught in front of his door, he would argue that she had heard too much.

As quietly as she could, she walked away, headed for the fire escape on the other side of the office, not wanting to raise suspicion with the ding of the arrival of an elevator. Once in the stairwell, Alex ran down the steps, one flight after another until her legs collapsed beneath her after going down four floors. She pressed her back against the wall, bending her legs to hug her knees against her chest. A choked sob left her as her thoughts raced, the words she heard Phil utter echoing in her mind.

She had always been vaguely aware that something was amiss around her, whether it was from Phil's advances or Tommy's bloodied state some nights. Most recently, a lot of her suspicions had been confirmed. From the files Anna found and more information they happened to come upon since, to the gun Stu brought into his and Lara's home, to Drew getting beaten up within an inch of his life, to Karen's involvement with him and the mad gossip about her friends, to hearing a murderous intent – it was a dangerous world to be part of.

And now, more than ever, she felt the weight of Tommy's words every morning she left for work. _Keep safe._

* * *

><p>"I don't like this bit," Anna said as she ducked behind the cushion held up in front of her. The evening was a bad time of day to watch a scary movie, and she was beginning to regret suggesting they watch the zombie thriller. She whimpered uncomfortably, "Is it over yet?"<p>

"I don't know. I'm not watching either." The blonde glanced to her left, grinning as Lara was sat with her eyes squeezed shut. They should have stuck to the regular chick flicks.

"This was a bad idea," she mumbled, wondering whether she had remembered to lock all of the doors in the house. Lara's eyes snapped open as there was a bang, sounding like someone was knocking on the front door. "I'm not answering that."

"What if it's Ste?"

"He has a key!" Anna exclaimed, still hiding behind the cushion. She reached for the remote control and turned the television off. A booming clap of thunder made their hearts race, causing them both to jump up from the couch. Before either of them could say anything else, the blonde's phone started flashing. Glancing at the screen she was relieved to see Alex's name. "Hey-"

"_Open the damn door!"_ Alex shouted down the phone, her voice a mixture of frustration and franticness. _"It's fucking raining hard!"_

"Alright, alright. I'm on my way," she hung up, slinging her phone onto the couch. "It's Alex."

Rushing through the house to get to Alex before she got soaked, Anna was sure she would get a mouthful from her friend. She sure sounded unhappy on the phone. Seeing Alex's silhouette behind the distorted glass windows within the door, she quickly unlocked the latch and pulled the door open. The brunette didn't spare a second, she rushed inside. Her hair was stuck together, droplets of rain clinging to her face.

"Sorry, sweetie, we're watching a scary film," Anna smiled, noticing the dull colour of her friend's face. She didn't smile back, she just stared. "Are you okay?"

Alex shook her head, taking her coat off and hanging it on the coat rack in the hallway. Anna just hoped the colour would return to her friend's face, maybe it was the cold and rain that had sucked the life out of her.

"Lara's in the living room, I'm going to make you some tea," the blonde swallowed hard, it wasn't often she saw her friend in this state. Come to think of it, she actually never had.

"No!" Alex's cold hand gripped onto Anna's wrist, stopping her from venturing off. "I need to talk to both of you."

Her protest was loud enough to have Lara running to them. One look at the baffled expression on Anna's face and Alex's crazed eyes; she knew that something wasn't right. "What's going on?" She asked, looking back and forth between her friends.

"Alex," Anna started, her features curling into a wince. "Can you let go of my arm? You're starting to hurt me."

"I, uh, sorry," Alex replied, loosening her grip on the blonde. "It's just that - oh god."

Anna and Lara shared a worried glance as they watched their friend heave a ragged breath, one hand tangling itself into her brown locks as she struggled to find the words to explain what was happening.

"Okay," Lara said after a few tense seconds, walking over to Alex and wrapping one arm around her shoulders. "Why don't the three of us go into the kitchen? Anna can make us some tea to get you warm while you try to relax. Take your time. And when you're ready, we're here to listen."

"Alright," she agreed, a weary smile finding its way to her lips. "We can do that."

"Well of course you listen to her," Anna scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "I said the same thing but got crazy wild eyes instead."

"Not now, Anna!" Lara scolded.

The blonde sneered as her two friends walked past her to go into the kitchen, Lara affectionately running her hands up and down Alex's arms to warm her up. Worry crossed Anna's mind once again at how Alex remained tense regardless of whatever soothing words Lara may have offered. With a shake of her head, the blonde made her way into the kitchen, grabbing a kettle to make tea for the three of them. "Can one of you grab the mugs?" She asked politely.

"I'll do it," Lara offered, walking towards the cupboards to do as Anna asked.

Alex's gaze followed her every move, a sadness grabbing at her heart as flashes of Lara, Charlie and Stu plagued her thoughts. _What was going to happen to her and Charlie if Phil gets away with it?_ she thought. She shook her head, wanting to be rid of the idea that she was just going to sit on what she had heard without doing anything about it. "Phil is gonna kill Stu," she blurted out.

Lara dropped the mug that she was holding, shattering into pieces when it hit the floor. Anna snapped her head around to look at Alex, her eyes searching for any clue that what she had heard was just some cruel joke.

"I heard him say it," Alex said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know who he was talking to."

"It has to be Del Rio," Lara said, eerily calm.

"What? How do you know that?" Anna asked. Lara's calmness - apart from the broken mug on the floor - was worrying.

"I don't know who it was," Alex confessed, taking a deep breath. Lara and Anna stared back at her - were they waiting for more?

"Everything is connected to Del Rio," Lara whispered, her gaze remaining on the wall. Anna could see her trying to figure things out, making sense of what Alex had just said. "The pictures, Drew and Karen, and now this."

Lara's hand covered her mouth, beginning to cry as things sunk in. Her eyes were squeezed shut, unable to keep in her emotions anymore. Anna rushed over to her, pulling her away from the broken porcelain on the floor.

"Everything is going to be okay," Anna muttered, obviously saying anything to try and make her friend feel better. She quickly looked up towards Alex who gave her a weary look. They were all in the same boat, heading towards a disaster. "I'm going to take you home."

Lara nodded through the sobs. Oh how she longed to be home with Stu and Charlie. Her heart clenched and her chest felt tight. It was a horrible feeling that she couldn't shake off. She couldn't be without Stu.

* * *

><p>The drive back to Lara's was completed in silence; stunned silence, with Anna and Lara at a loss for words at what Alex had revealed to them earlier in the evening. Every time the blonde opened her mouth to speak she was shushed, her friend not wanting to talk about the prospect of her husband's fate let alone partake in idle chitchat as they sped down the streets of Chicago. Lara honestly didn't know what to make of it all, but she couldn't shift it from her mind. She turned to the window as a single tear slid down her cheek, her hand quickly wiping it away. Anna pursed her lips when she pulled into the driveway, noticing both Stephen and Tommy's cars parked by the sidewalk. The engine still hummed as Lara bolted for the house, wanting to get back to her family as fast as possible.<p>

She rushed down the hallway to seek out the guys, Anna following close behind. They stopped short of the dim living room, hovering in the door frame ready to face the chaos. The room had been literally turned upside down. Crisp sheets had been ruffled and slung over the couches. All of the furniture was positioned in the middle of the room to provide bulk to the large fort-like structure. Flashlights shone circles on the inside of the thin sheets, and the two women could just about make out the silhouettes of three burly men and a small toddler. Anna pointed out Stephen with a whisper, his stark hair casting a unique shadow. They could hear Stu reading Charlie one of his favourite stories; his impish giggle was instantly recognisable as he watched the men make shadow puppets with their hands. Lara smiled despite her frantic state of mind. It was surprising how such dangerous men could change their moods so quickly and end up acting like little kids.

"Daddy, I want a drink!"

Stu stopped reading mid-sentence to look down at his son, "What's the magic word?"

"Chicken!" His enthusiastic answer was without hesitation which made his father crack a smile.

"No..."

"Poptarts?"

"Yeh gettin' closer," Stephen chimed in, making Anna stand up a little straighter. "What else begins wit' the letter 'P'?" The evening was turning into an episode of Sesame Street; Lara half-expected the guys to be dressed as Big Bird, Count von Count and the Cookie Monster.

"Pizza!"

"All this kid thinks about is food." Tommy laughed, the other men joining in afterwards after Charlie mimicked his chuckle dramatically.

"Like someone else I know," Anna trailed off, nudging Lara in the side as she watched the silhouettes' exchange words.

"Shh," the brunette chastised, hoping that her son would remember the manners she had tried so hard to instil in him. There was another moment of coaxing and encouragement from Stu before Charlie finally chose the right word.

"Please?"

"There you go!" The Englishman cheered, throwing his hands up in the air. "What do you want to drink?"

"I want to pick!" Before anyone had a chance to grab him, Charlie had made his way towards the exit of the fort. He stuck his head out first, Stu telling him to always be on the lookout for enemies as part of their little game. His eyes lit up when he deciphered the two womanly figures in the doorway. "Mommy!"

Stu was next to peep out of the fort, a questioning look on his face. "Lara?"

"And Anna," the blonde piped up, much to Stu's dismay.

"Anna, love?" Stephen asked, also craning his neck out of the fort, Tommy following his actions a second later. "What yeh doin' here?"

"Just witnessing the cuteness," Anna teased, her arms folded over her chest as she gently swayed from side to side. "And now I want to make babies with you." She was half joking, but her serious stance caused the Englishman to chuckle.

"Watch out, Ste won't have the money for that if you keep dicking around with it."

Stephen ignored his friend, crawling out of the fort to pick up Charlie, "Ah'll make yeh a drink, fella," he said, flying him around the room like an aeroplane and disappearing into the kitchen with Tommy and Anna in tow. Stu shuffled on his hands and knees, eventually getting to his feet with the book he had been reading to Charlie under his arm. He set it down on the window sill as he noticed his wife's expression. She hadn't moved an inch or said a word, and that worried him.

"Is everything alright, sweetheart? You look as if you've been crying."

Lara took a deep breath, stepping forward into his open arms. She clung onto him for dear life, afraid that he would disappear. What if Phil actually went through with it? What if she never got to be in his arms ever again? What if Charlie had to grow up without a father? She couldn't stand it. It took all of her energy not to break down and cry. Her mind was packed full of these horrible secrets, and she wanted to spill everything, now knowing that he was in real danger. He held her close, startled by her tight grasp on the back of his shirt.

"Yeah," she finally said, the word barely escaping her lips as it was mumbled into his chest. His hand stroked through her hair as he rocked her softly. "I just missed you, that's all."

"You missed me?" He asked, surprise evident in his voice. "You were gone for a few hours. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"You're such a wonderful father."

Her words had dumbfounded him. On the one hand it felt great to hear her praise; on the other hand he couldn't help but feel she was dodging the subject. "That doesn't answer my question." Lara pulled out of his embrace to look him in the eyes. He cupped her face with his hands, the pads of his thumbs stroking over her cheeks soothingly. She choked back the tears that threatened to fall, her voice wavering.

"I know, but you are. Charlie really looks up to you, and I'm truly happy that you're spending every spare moment that you can with him."

"Well you know that the pair of you mean everything to me."

"I just feel like I've been a bit of a battleaxe to live with as of late."

He looked at her like she had grown two heads. "Where'd you get that from?" His question made her shrug.

"I don't know. Things have been tense recently, and I can't remember the last time that I told you that I loved you."

"So tell me now," he whispered, a reassuring smile on his lips.

"I love you," she sniffed, pressing her lips to his. They lost themselves in the kiss for a moment, Stu's arms locking her in another tight embrace. Her hands gripped his shoulders, still trying to push the idea of losing him out of her mind. She was breathless as she pulled away, her head resting on his chest. "So, so much."

"How about I give Charlie his bath and put him to bed?" Stu suggested, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "And then afterwards I can show you how much I love you, hmm?"

Lara sighed. She had to convince him that everything was normal, and the weight of what she had been told by Alex was making that difficult. His eyes met hers and she smiled even if it was brief. "I'll wait for you upstairs."

Stu walked into the kitchen to see Charlie sat on the marble countertop, his feet dangling and swinging back and forth. He happily chugged on the crazy straw, his focus on drinking up the chocolate milk that Stephen had made for him. Tommy pushed his phone into his pocket after checking for any messages from Alex, and approached the Englishman, "Hey, is everything okay with Lara?"

"Yeah, she's fine," he reassured, turning to a grumpy-looking Anna. "Unless, of course, you've given her a reason to be upset?"

"I'll give you a reason to be upset in a min-" Stephen held her back, his hands securely tightening around her waist as she attempted to lunge at Stu with her fists clenched. He gave her a cocky smirk, his arms crossed over his broad chest. The Irishman pushed his wife behind him as he helped Charlie off the counter.

"Alright, time to leave."

"I'm gonna head out too," Tommy said, "Alex is probably waiting up on me."

"I get it," Stu nodded, his attention solely on his son as he ran laps around the kitchen. That chocolate milk had sent him hyper. He sighed; getting him to sleep was going to be a nightmare. "It's Charlie's bath time anyway."

"No!" He yelled, zooming past them all and running through the house as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"Oi! Get back here now!"

They heard him playfully giggle then continue to defy his father's orders. An awkward silence followed until Lara shouted from the hallway, "I've got him!"

"Kid's like a rocket," Tommy's comment was met with much agreement. He slapped Stu's shoulder blade hard, wanting to get home before they were made to clean up the living room. "Anyway, I'll see you later, man."

Lara watched from the top of the stairs as her friends left one by one. The exchanges were light-hearted between the guys, Stu sharing a joke with his two colleagues when they stood at the door. She quickly ducked behind the bedroom door when Anna looked up to the second storey, just wanting to forget the whole evening. But nothing was going to make her forget the fear of losing her husband.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you xj0j0x, Manaji, Blackhat, xFindTheEnigmaWithinx, Lou221B and Colorful Raging Cancer for the reviews once again, they really spur us on :P! Hopefully another update won't be too long away! Lou, Katie and Mox x**


	14. The State Of Dreaming

_**The State Of Dreaming**_

Tommy knew that something was amiss the second he stepped foot in their home. Things were too still, the halls were too dark, the silence only being broken by the sound of his feet against the floor as he walked up to their bedroom. And even then, the stillness unnerved him.

"Alex?" He called out, wondering where his wife was.

"I'm in here," came the muffled reply.

He padded through the plush carpet and pushed the bathroom door open, leaning against the doorway when he found her partly hidden under a blanket of bubbles. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her, looking more like a small child with her big brown eyes gazing up at him rather than the headstrong woman he knew her to be.

"Trying to relax?" He asked.

"I got rained on," she said meekly.

Tommy nodded once, acting like her reply made all the sense in the world. But all it did for him was raise more questions. He always believed that he could tell how Alex was feeling depending on what she was doing. She sang when happy, cleaned the house when she was anxious, read when she was mad, but he was clueless about a bubble bath. Maybe it was just to get the cold of the rain off her skin, but her odd behaviour on top of too quiet a home had him confused, though he was too proud to admit it. So he asked if he could join her instead.

Alex's head lolled to the side of the tub, eyes lazily roaming over her husband's body from head to toe. She licked her lips as Tommy started to shed his clothes, muscles rippling at every move, his tanned skin begging to be touched.

"Stop staring like I'm a piece of meat," he joked. He was hoping to get a witty retort from her, or at least a short chuckle, but all he got were those big brown eyes still staring at him. With a sigh, he walked over to the tub and gently urged her to move forward, giving him room to slip in behind her. He drew her back against his chest, sweeping loose tendrils of her hair so he could place soft kisses against the side of her neck. With one last gentle kiss to her temple he asked "What's wrong?"

She shook her head slowly, moving her body further under water so she could rest her head on his chest, feeling his heart beating against her cheek. "I love you," she murmured.

"I love you too," he replied, taking her hands to intertwine with his. "But seriously, Alex, what's wrong?"

"Just under a lot of stress, I guess," she said with a shrug. "Maybe you're right. I need a vacation or maybe even a new job, something that doesn't have me this overworked."

"I thought you loved your job."

"I do," she said. _Just not when it involves overhearing my boss plotting to kill a friend,_she mentally added. "Maybe I'm just looking for something new. I've been doing this for a while and I feel like I've accomplished all that I can. Time to make new goals, maybe?"

"That makes sense," Tommy agreed. "Whatever you want to do, it's fine by me. Hell, I'd rather you just stay at home; maybe find a job like Lara's. But I know you'd go stir crazy. I just worry that you're working yourself down to the bone."

"I'll think about it more," she said. It all sounded good in her head but deep down she knew she was just making up excuses. Tommy was right, Alex loved her job. She knew she was great at what she did and the challenges she met along the way only made her better. What she didn't sign up for was the darker side of the business that apparently included murder.

"Wanna hear how my day went?" Tommy asked, breaking through the silence. "I'm sure it'll lift your spirits up."

Alex had to chuckle at the happiness in his voice, already wondering what got him in such a good mood. "Go ahead."

"Stu decided to play hooky," he started. "Lara left him on Charlie duty so he couldn't leave him and he damn well knows he can't take the kid to work either. Stephen and I decided to go over, at least give him a rundown of what's happening. We get there and their living room was pretty much a mess, with a huge makeshift fort in the middle."

"The four of you ended up acting like a bunch of kids, didn't you?" she asked, amusement lacing her tone. "Well, three. The fourth really is a kid."

"Come on, Lex," he said with a slight whine. "Forts!" Alex let out a hearty laugh, Tommy joining her not long after. "I'm glad that got you smiling and laughing." She craned her head, giving him a soft peck on the lips before relaxing against him again. "I want one."

"A fort?" She asked, a bit clueless.

"Charlie."

Alex sat up straighter, twisting around as best she could in the small space so she could look at him straight in the eye. "You do know he's not some toy you can buy off the shelves, right?" She said nervously.

"I know that. Just hear me out," he said, pulling her back against him. "We've been married for two years, Lex, together longer than that. Don't you think it's about time?"

"Tommy," she said, fighting to keep her voice under control. She would have loved nothing more than to start a family with him but given the circumstances of their relationship and the things she was only starting to learn about him and everything around her, the thought infuriated her. "What are we gonna do if we do have one? Are we hiding the kid too? If I go to work sporting a baby bump, how do you think it's gonna look to everyone else?"

"Okay, you're mad. That's totally not what I was hoping for."

Alex stood up, grabbing the towel she placed at the foot of the tub as she exited, water splashing against the rug. "Damn right, I'm mad!" She exclaimed, eyes ablaze with anger. "You can't even take responsibility of me, what the hell makes you think you can for a child?"

Tommy seethed as she walked out of the bathroom, scrambling to get out of the tub to follow her. "That was low and you know it," he said through gritted teeth.

"Is it?" She asked softly, a sad look crossing her features. Alex heaved a sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed dejectedly. "We've kept our relationship under wraps, just like you wanted me to, without any question. It's tiring. And as much as I love Anna and Lara, it's kind of depressing that they're the only friends I have. What exactly am I hiding from?"

His shoulders slumped in defeat, having no argument or defence for anything she had just said. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know that's not what you want. I know I owe you a lot of explanations and so much more. But I can't tell you right now, not until –" he trailed off.

"Not until what?" She had been hopeful that he was finally going to give her an answer, any answer, but she knew that it was asking for too much. And even if he did tell her anything, would she really want to hear it after everything she's learned thus far? "I don't want to fight," she said, barely above a whisper.

Even with her back turned to him, Tommy knew she was on the verge of tears, mentally cursing himself for even bringing up the topic. "I have the worst timing, don't I?" He asked, trying to lighten up the mood. "I'm sorry, Lex. Really, I am." Alex didn't say anything in reply, keeping her gaze glued to her feet until he knelt in front of her, only then did she chance a look into his eyes. "We'll talk about it some other time, when we're both ready."

Right then, it was like a light bulb went off in her head. She knew what he was supposed to say. _Not until it's safe._

Any and all thoughts about finding another job left her when the realisation hit. _It's Phil he's keeping me safe from._ While her mind was screaming at her to get out the first chance she gets, much like how her flight response kicked in as soon as the words left Phil's mouth and travelled to her ears, she knew she couldn't just leave. If she did, there was no way for her to help Stu and save Lara from the grief that would undoubtedly wash over her. Alex knew that the same would apply if it was Stephen and Anna or, god forbid, Tommy and herself.

_I'd never be able to live with myself if Phil managed to carry out his plans, _she thought. _I can't leave. Not yet._

* * *

><p>"What's gotten into them?" Stu asked Lara, seeing Stephen and Anna in a different light. They seemed to be more loved up than ever. Stu had invited his friend along for a workout and breakfast before they'd start work for the day; he'd brought Anna along.<p>

Anna had her arms tightly wrapped around Stephen's waist; his hands were resting on her shoulders massaging them lightly. Her smile was beaming as he talked away, staring up lovingly into his eyes, hanging off his every word.

Lara knew why. It was the same reason she had wanted to spend every second with Stu. You don't know what you have until it's gone.

"They're happy, Stu. There's nothing wrong with that," she defended her friend, knowing that their marriage was still relatively new.

"If you say so. We're going to work out." Stu pushed his chest out, seemingly making himself appear bigger. He smirked and rubbed Lara's shoulder affectionately.

She gripped onto his hand, pressing her lips against his knuckles. "Do you not want any breakfast?"

"We'll get some after," Stu smiled, enjoying his wife's sudden influx of affection. Lara nodded, reluctantly letting go of his hand. She glanced at Charlie sat at the kitchen table, furiously colouring with a bright red crayon.

"Stephen?" Stu waited for the Irishman, frowning when he was ignored. "Ste, mate!"

Stephen turned to look at Stu, eyebrows raised at his sudden outburst. "Alrigh' fella, keep yeh panties on." Anna giggled at her husband's line, much to the annoyance of the Englishman.

Stu cringed as the pair kissed, not fond of their displays of affection. Anna was a distraction to Stephen, her blonde tendencies getting the better of her. Finally, the Irishman left Anna and followed Stu towards the small but adequate home gym.

"How are you holding up?" Anna asked Lara after a few moments of silence.

"Fine."

The blonde took that as a cue to not talk about what Alex had heard, but she just couldn't drop the subject. Something had to be done.

"Not talking about it won't make it all disappear."

"Stu is just through there and Charlie is here. We'll talk about it later," Lara turned around, ignoring the stare Anna was giving her.

* * *

><p>The Irishman followed his friend into his home gym, walking straight past the cardio machines, knowing exactly what they were going to do. They both enjoyed the feeling of getting bulked up, often passing up meals and replacing them with protein shakes. Stu was far from his lanky former self, having piled on pounds of muscle to make his frame incredibly enviable. And he had to admit it; being in the gym was a haven, and possibly one of his favourite ways to relieve the stresses of work and other ongoing tensions. Their frames certainly made them seem more intimidating when they were working. Plus their hard graft in the gym definitely paid off with their wives; something more to hold onto, hard flesh to bite in the heights of pleasure.<p>

Stephen placed his bottle of water down on the bench and raised his arms to stretch them out before beginning his workout. The Englishman set up one of the weight machines, distributing the weight evenly on each side of the bar in order to equal 300lbs, and dropped the clean white towel from around his neck.

"Spot me, would yeh?" Stephen asked, lying back on the bench and planting his feet firmly on the ground. Stu nodded, positioning himself behind the gym equipment. After a couple of warm up reps, he cleared his throat.

"So what was all that about in there?"

"What was what about?"

"You always make a big deal about public displays like that," Stu answered, referring to his friend's rekindled relationship. "Now you're just letting it happen?"

"Yer house is hardly a public place, fella."

"Still it's not like you to be so forthcoming."

"It hasn't been like Anna fer the past few weeks either," Stephen mused; his wife's sudden displays of affection had confused him somewhat, yet he didn't feel like protesting. "She's different."

"How so?"

"Ah don' know," the Irishman's words ended on a grunt as he completed another strong rep. "Jittery when Ah'm around, nosey when she thinks Ah can't see her. It's no' the Anna Ah married; although Ah couldn't complain last night, or this mornin'."

"Mate," Stu groaned, not in the mood to hear about his conquests. They shared a laugh, feeling more relaxed as they got further into their workout. "But I get what you mean. Lara's been acting weird lately too."

"Maybe she's pregnant again," Stu's fingers gripped tighter around the bar as Stephen pushed it upwards for another rep. For some reason, the possibility of Lara being pregnant didn't sit right with him. He questioned how safe they were in the risky situation work presented them with at this point in time. They were already having enough trouble with Charlie, bringing another child into the world would make home life completely chaotic. "Didn't yeh say she acted strange around yeh before she go' round to tellin' yeh she was pregnant wit' Charlie?"

"Yeah, but this is a different kind of weird. She freaked out last night and wouldn't leave me alone," he sighed, casting his mind back to the despondent look on Lara's face, her fingers clutching at his shirt as he held her in his embrace. "Like I was going to disappear or something."

"That's what she was doin' when we were gettin' yer boy a drink?"

Stu shrugged, glancing through the kitchen window just in time to see Lara pick up their son and set him on the countertop. Charlie stuck his tongue out at Anna as his mother bent down to pick up one of his toys. He smiled; they were so innocent. "She seemed alright after everyone left, and she kept telling me that she was fine when I asked her. I think she was glad I took Charlie off her hands for once. He can be a right handful sometimes."

"Nah, the kid's a lot o' fun. Energetic, sure, but a barrel o' laughs nonetheless." There was a sign of agreement from the Englishman, followed by a long silence before Stephen spoke again. "Makes me want one."

"With Anna?"

"Who else? She is me wife."

"It's your life, mate," Stu smirked, not quite seeing Anna as the mother hen type. "A piece of advice though," he spoke quietly, his tone turning serious. Stephen sat up and grabbed the towel on the floor to wipe over his brow, suddenly all ears. "I'd wait until this whole thing with Phil dies down before you think about starting a family. You have no idea how difficult it is trying to protect a child from all of this."

Stephen's eyebrow quirked as he listened, "Yer the one who let Charlie grab a hold o' that gun, fella."

"Exactly, and look where that one got me. I ruined your evening as well as mine."

Stephen took a long chug of water and screwed the cap back on the bottle. He had a burning question to ask, unsure as to whether he would get a straight answer.

"When do yeh think this thing wit' Phil will blow over?"

"I don't know," Stu answered honestly. His mind had been working overtime, and he wanted to know as much as Stephen. He looked up, seeing the steely gaze of his friend who was waiting on an answer. Enough playing around; they weren't the negotiating type by any means. "Soon."

* * *

><p>After a pot of coffee and a lot of waffles and pancakes later, Anna and Lara had taken the time to spy on Stephen and Stu. Charlie was busy playing with his toys beside the kitchen table. Anna didn't once take her eyes off her husband. She was mesmerised as his hands gripped onto the hem of his shirt, tugging it upwards and over his head then throwing it over one of the unused weight machines. His sculpted chest and arms glistened with perspiration, the result of such a strenuous workout.<p>

"I still don't know how he does this every day. I'm tired and horny just watching him."

"Anna!" Lara scolded, knowing Charlie was just a few feet away from them and at a very impressionable stage. "But I know what you mean."

Lara and Anna shared a knowing smile before the brunette turned to study her husband. He was focused on lifting the weights with Stephen next to him, making sure his reps were complete. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as her gaze wandered over the hard muscles of his body, biceps straining against the black t-shirt he was wearing. His physique was just one of the things she loved about him.

"About what Alex told us-" Anna spoke in a hushed voice, not wanting anyone to overhear.

"Not now," Lara shook her head. It had been all she had thought about, nothing could get her to shake it from her mind.

"Then when? Because I've been thinking-"

"Oh lord," Lara pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, not liking where the conversation was headed.

"I have a plan," she turned her head slightly to see Anna with one eyebrow raised, waiting for Lara to give in and hear her out. "We can convince Phil not to…" Anna paused for a moment before she whispered, "Kill Stu."

Lara looked like she'd seen a ghost. Of all the emotions running through her, she didn't know which to take hold of first. Panic set in, then a pang of grief. "I don't want to lose him."

"You won't, Lara." Anna rested her hand on Lara's shoulder and pulled her away from the window. "We've got this far..."

"I don't like where you're going with this." Lara started moving around the kitchen, gathering more ingredients to make some food for Stephen and Stu. They were bound to be hungry by the time they'd finished, and truth be told, she needed something to keep her busy. Anna kept her mouth shut, knowing she'd bring up the topic the next time they were with Alex.

Half an hour later, they were sat at the kitchen table with fresh coffee made and pancakes ready to be eaten; just for Stu and Stephen. Charlie was playing with toy trucks on the floor, seemingly unaware of anything until the men wandered through. It was clear they had been working out, dripping with sweat and looking out of breath.

Charlie looked up, eyes widening at seeing his dad and 'Uncle Stephen' return.

"How're yeh, fella?" Stephen smiled down at Charlie.

The toddler looked towards Lara who smiled encouragingly. He looked down to the floor, speaking nonchalantly and concentrating on crashing his trucks, "Tired and horny."

Taking a sip of coffee at the wrong time, Anna coughed and spluttered. She could feel Lara's disapproving glare burning into her.

"What the..?" Stu trailed off, his brows furrowed in confusion. Where the hell would he pick up such a word? He looked towards his wife and Anna, knowing the answer to his question. "You," he pointed a finger at the blonde who quickly held her hands up in defence.

"I didn't do a thing," Anna looked up at Stephen who looked as surprised as Stu. Maybe it was a tiny bit her fault, but she wasn't about to admit it.

"That's a bad word, sweetie." the brunette left the table, moving over to her son. She crouched down with a smile on her face.

"Horny!" Charlie uttered the word again, making Stu groan and shake his head.

"Yes, that word. It's naughty so don't say it again. Okay?" The little boy nodded his head as his mother ran her hand over his hair.

"Ah doubt he'll be thinkin' that when he's older." Stephen chuckled, taking a seat next to Anna who giggled with him.

"Ste, mate." Stu scowled, wondering just what the hell had gotten into his Irish friend. The immature side of him wanted to laugh along, but he knew better than to undermine his wife when she was in the middle of disciplining their child.

"Yes, both of you," Lara stood up, letting Charlie play with his trucks again. "Especially you, Anna!"

"Why am I being singled out here?"

"Because it's your fault. You can never keep your big mouth shut!" Lara snapped, her tirade ending in silence. The words held more meaning than the men in the room knew. The tension that built up was thick and Anna - possibly for the first time - was speechless.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you Blackhat, Manji, charmedbyortonbarrett, Colorful Raging Cancer, xj0j0x, ThatGirl54, Lou221B, Thee Cenation Leader and xFindTheEnigmaWithinx for the wonderful reviews, you guys are awesome :D! Katie, Mox and Lou x**


	15. Power And Control

_**Power And Control**_

Anna knocked on the door to Stephen's office, quietly opening it and poking her head inside the room. Hesitating for a moment before she spoke up, she didn't want to cut through the peaceful quiet that her husband had surrounded himself with. "Can we talk?"

"Sure, lass." Stephen smiled, watching her slowly creep into the office.

She stopped in front of his desk, eyes focused on her fingers tapping gently against the fine oak as she mulled over in her head what she was going to say.

"I know things between us over the past month have been a little strained..." Glancing up, Anna wondered if she should continue or bail. Unsure of how Stephen would react to her, she backed up shaking her head. "Actually, it doesn't matter."

"Anna," he stood up from the desk, briskly walking over to her to stop her from leaving. "Yeh can talk to me." His big hands landed on her shoulders, rubbing softly before they ran down her arms.

"I love you, and you mean everything to me." Anna knew that everything was stemming from what Alex had overheard. She couldn't lose Stephen. Just like Lara couldn't lose Stu and Alex couldn't lose Tommy. "I want us to start a family."

She held her breath, watching for Stephen's reaction. It was a topic they hadn't brought up before for one reason or another. Though it was mainly because Anna didn't see herself as the motherly type - her interactions with Charlie proved that to be true. Stephen on the other hand was a natural. Anna didn't doubt for one second that he would be an amazing father.

"Ah want that too." the Irishman smiled, wondering just what had changed. For a moment he wondered if Stu had spilled what he had said during the workout, but then he quickly dismissed it. He then remembered what else his friend had said; Anna's safety now foremost in his mind. "No' right now, but soon."

"What's stopping us?" Stephen heard the urgency in her voice, but he couldn't look in her eyes. He kept his gaze to her lips before pulling her tight into his chest. She nuzzled against him and let out a little sigh.

"This is a big step for us, Anna. Ah want to make sure everything is perfect." Running his hand in small circles across her back, he hoped to soothe her. "We'll keep practising in the meantime."

Anna pulled back from Stephen just in time to see him wink at her. She hadn't expected such a positive reaction so she decided to take it and run. Literally. "You know best." Pushing herself onto her tip toes, she gently pressed her lips against his. She tingled at the contact but kept it short and sweet. "I have some things to do, I'll be back later."

"What kind o' things?" Instead of letting her go like she had hoped, Stephen held tightly onto her. He wasn't going to give up until he got the answers that he wanted, she knew that.

"I need to pick up some dry cleaning, get a few groceries and stop by the range." And see Lara and Alex, but telling Stephen would only lead to more questions. Ones she really didn't want to answer.

"Be careful." Stephen mumbled against her lips, gently kissing her before she moved back from him. Waiting for a moment he watched her bite her bottom lip then smile.

"I love you." Anna retreated back as his grip around her waist loosened, eventually turning her back on her husband to leave the room.

The past few days had been strange to say the least. Being glued to Stephen's side whenever she had the chance had aroused suspicion within the Irishman. It didn't need to be said, Anna could see it clearly. Even with the new questions he would ask, he didn't shy away from her and the increased attention she lavished upon him. Her fears now centred on something bad happening to him. Putting herself in Lara's shoes, she knew she would want someone to help her. And that was exactly what she was going to do. They had come too far to tell the guys exactly what they had done.

* * *

><p>"Babe?"<p>

"What?" Alex called back, craning her neck to look in Tommy's general direction.

"Have you seen my crimson waistcoat and the matching tie?" He asked. "You know, the set that you got me for my birthday?"

"I think I just pulled it out of the dryer yesterday. I hadn't finished doing the laundry."

"Guess I'll go with a different outfit," he mumbled.

Alex was fighting hard to suppress her smile, a battle that was completely lost when a snort escaped her.

"What?"

"You sounded just like Anna," she said in between chuckles. "Guess I'll go with a different outfit," she continued, trying to mimic the blonde's voice. "You're wearing black trousers, babe. As long as you wear a matching jacket, you can pair that with anything."

"Okay, first," Tommy said, holding up a finger. "I'm offended by that Anna comment. Second, what if I wear neon?"

"One," she said, her tone now mimicking his. "Admit it, it's funny. Two, you don't own anything neon. Three, I'd file for divorce if you did."

"Really?"

"No, actually," she said, her tone thoughtful. "You'd be a widower because Anna would kill me for letting you out of the house wearing neon."

"Very funny," he deadpanned.

Alex grinned cheekily, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his bare torso. "There you go," she said mockingly. "Admitting it is the hardest part, trust me."

"It'll still be better than Stu's paisley print shirts," Tommy grumbled, earning a laugh from his wife.

"That'll be interesting conversation between me and Lara, no?" She replied, smirking. "Paisley versus neon – which is worse? I'm pretty sure the answer will be to burn it all."

"You're just a regular comedian today, aren't you?"

Alex shrugged. "Sadly, this funny girl has to go to work," she said with a pout. "Miss me?"

"Always," he replied softly. "Be careful, alright?"

"What's the worst that can happen?" She asked with a smile. "I love you."

* * *

><p>Anna blew warm air onto her cold hands. The breeze that the wind brought had left her chilled, especially with the less than adequate jacket she had decided on wearing. Scurrying into the small coffee shop, a rush of heat hit her and the smell of the wood burning fire and coffee flooded her senses. Eva's Café boasted a pretty fine selection of pastries and beverages. It was small and cosy. Perfect for a little chat between friends.<p>

Stepping up to the counter and the petite woman stationed behind it, Anna smiled. "Latte, please. I'll be sat over there." Pointing towards Lara and Alex settled in the corner of the room, she smiled at the petite blonde girl. "I'll be back for some cake."

"Hey," she greeted as she stopped next to the small circle of seats Lara and Alex were occupying. Pulling the zipper of her coat, she shrugged it off her shoulders and slung it across the arm of the chair. "Sorry I'm late."

"That's okay; Alex was just about to tell me something Tommy said." Anna looked between her two friends, waiting for them to continue.

"Tommy wants to have a baby," Alex confessed, recalling her conversation with her husband just a few nights ago.

"And you said..." Lara raised an eyebrow, wondering just how that conversation had gone.

"No," Alex sighed and wrapped her hands around her mug of coffee, more for warmth than anything. "I don't think it's the right time for us to have children."

"You sound just like Stephen. He wants to wait too."

"You want children?" Lara asked, pretty much astounded by her serious tone. Yes, she had mentioned it when the conversation had been light and the jokes flowing. But she thought it had been just that. A joke.

"Anyway," Anna took a quick glance at both women, knowing where she was about to take the conversation. "Phil."

"We're not going to do anything rash," Lara once again was the rational voice, despite the situation.

"Yeah Anna, if he's willing to kill Stu..." Alex looked at Lara who let out a sigh and quickly changed what she was about to say. "But we don't know if he's capable of that though."

"He might not even do it and you're going to make sure that he doesn't," Anna pointed a long finger at Alex. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"How?" Alex's reaction coaxed a grin from Anna; so she wasn't saying no straight off. That was a good sign.

"He likes you Alex." Anna leaned across the table, emphasising her words.

"Oh no, I know where you're going with this," Alex shook her head and put her coffee down in fear of spilling it. Anna was unpredictable, and she was bound to say something that would leave her shocked.

"Harmless flirting, that's all! Just get close enough to get information from him."

"Please, Alex?" Lara's pleading voice made Alex rub her temples. So much was swimming through her already congested head.

"The more we know, the more we can help Stu." Even with all of the jokes she'd had to put up with from Stu, Anna wasn't about to let something happen to him. Especially for the sake of Lara and Charlie, something needed to be done.

Alex looked between her two expectant friends before uttering the words, "Okay, I'll do it."

* * *

><p>Alex may have been all smiles in the morning but as soon as the home she shared with Tommy was no longer visible from her rear view mirror, all her pretences dropped. She may have easily agreed to the plan that Anna had concocted – she would have agreed to anything that could help her friends – but she still had to steel herself for what was to come.<p>

She still had no idea what she was going to say to Phil to possibly change his mind about killing Stu. With no clue why he would even want to go ahead with those plans, it was hard to come up with something concrete. Lara had made a good point on how there's no reason for it other than instructions from Del Rio; the files, the conversation Alex heard, and why it had to be Stu all pointed to him. But other than that, none of them knew what they were really dealing with.

The one thing they had going for them was the fact that Phil was a creature of habit. Alex knew for certain that he was going to try to invite her out for dinner and drinks the closer they got to wrapping up the quarter, something to celebrate he would say. For as many times as he asked, she had refused just as many times. And it worried her to no end that he would find her acceptance to be suspicious.

Glancing at the clock, Alex saw that it was just about time for her to send her final report. She took a deep breath, hoping that it would help calm her nerves. _Now or never,_ she thought.

She marched up to Phil's office, handed him the file in her hands and proceeded to give her thoughts, pointing out any discrepancies that she believed they needed to pay more attention to and sharing ideas on how to make the most out of their more profitable ventures. It was all routine for her by now, the words flying right out of her mouth but barely registering in her mind.

"And that's that," Alex said, clapping her hands together. "I already sent the books back to the accounting department so they'll be doing the brunt of the work preparing their own reports for you to present to partners and stockholders, and I can finally have my life back."

Phil chuckled, commending her on a job well done. "I'm sorry about taking you away from your life but maybe I can do something to make up for it?"

One look at the glimmer in his eyes and she knew what was to come. _Gotcha._

"How about I take you out to dinner, maybe a few drinks? Say, this Friday?"

"You know," Alex started to say, stalling on her next words.

"Oh come on Alexandra," Phil urged on. "It's dinner, drinks, a chance to put on a nice dress and a full night of relaxation. What's so bad about that?"

She let out a huge breath before finally agreeing. "Alright, alright, you twisted my arm," she said with a small smile. "But nothing too fancy! I don't want to break my bank account trying to find an outfit that would be up to the standards of where we're going."

Phil rattled off the name of a restaurant on West Armitage that was considered one of the fanciest places to go, completely disregarding her request. "I'm telling you now to give you enough time to shop for a dress. I know how you women are with these things. You can even have the day off on Friday."

_Oh trust me. Plan or not, I'm not spending a dime nor am I exerting too much effort on trying to please you,_she thought. "Gee, thanks," she said dryly.

"I'll pick you up at 7."

"Oh don't worry about it," Alex said with a wave of her hand. "I live nearby, I can take a cab. That way you don't have to go from one side of town to the other and then back track to the place. It's fine, really."

"Well if you're sure," Phil said. "In that case, I'll see you at 7 on Friday."

* * *

><p>It was a rarity for Lara to fall asleep in Stu's arms. Usually he would come home from work to see her with her arms wrapped around his pillow, her face buried in the fabric to breathe in the traces of his aftershave. He couldn't sleep, but that was nothing new. Their bedroom was dark besides the lamp on the nightstand which cast a yellow haze on his side of the bed. Her arms tightened around his bare torso, her eyes clamped shut as she dreamt. Stu stroked the pads of his fingers lightly over her bare arm, lazily tracing circles on her skin. He sighed, the quietness of the night broken by the buzzing of his phone.<p>

"Shit," he muttered. His eyes darted to Lara, and he tried his hardest to slip from under his wife's body without waking her up. She grumbled and turned over, her back to him as she tangled herself in the sheets. He sat upright and checked to see who it was that had to speak with him so urgently. Ted DiBiase. Stu frowned; he had only just seen him that morning. "What are you doing calling me at this hour?"

"_Sorry, man. I just had to update you,"_ Ted's voice held no enthusiasm. _"We've got some new information on Brooks."_

Stu got up from the bed as he heard the mention of Phil's name. This had to be important, and he couldn't be around anyone else if he was going to have such a conversation. "Hold on." He checked up on Charlie, sleeping soundly with his little fingers grasping the fins of his Nemo plush toy as he held it close to him. Stu slowly pulled the door ajar and descended the staircase as quietly as he could. He paced the kitchen in the darkness. "Okay, go ahead."

"_I won't dance around the matter. He was seen leaving Northwestern Memorial Hospital this evening at around 8 o'clock."_

The Englishman rubbed his chin in thought, "What does that have to do with anything? He might have a sick grandmother for all we know."

"_Does Brooks seem like the type to care for an ill relative?"_ Ted scoffed, completely disputing that a man like Phil would even carry human emotions, especially if he was working with Del Rio as they suspected. Stu listened intently as his investigator went on. _"The guy you beat up is still admitted there. It seems a bit coincidental that he arrived with a thick envelope and handed it to McIntyre's redheaded broad before making a quick exit."_

"Reckon he's paying McIntyre off?"

Without missing a beat, Ted replied, _"More dirt on your faces if that's the case." _Stu cursed under his breath, his hands balling into fists. He was about to crush his phone in anger. _"I mean, last I heard he was still in the ICU so I'm presuming he's not awake yet."_

"We have to hope that we knocked him so hard into next week that he's forgotten everything."

"_Hey, that's your own business. As long as I get my cut I don't care what you guys do."_

"Cheers mate. Let me know if you find out anything else."

"_I will do."_

Stu hung up the phone and downed a tumbler of water before returning upstairs. He wanted to forget about his work for once, but having Ted update him late at night had made it extremely difficult to focus on anything else. The door to Charlie's bedroom creaked as he lightly pushed on it. He felt an urge to check on his son once more, knowing that the slightest sound would rouse him. Watching with his shoulder perched against the doorframe, a small smile slowly formed on his face. He hadn't moved since Stu first checked on him before going downstairs.

Muffled sounds from the master bedroom had suddenly caught his attention. Stu stood upright, uncrossing his arms from his chest and pulling Charlie's door ajar again. He walked across the landing and opened the door to see Lara thrashing around in the bed, her eyes tightly closed and incessant mumbling escaping her lips. She flipped onto her stomach, stifling her abrupt screams in the pillow beneath her. The Englishman rushed to her side, his hands taking strong hold of her upper arms and jolting her awake.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Her eyes widened at his presence when she came to. Sweat beaded across her forehead and neck, her hair sticking to the skin. Her heart thumped against her chest, making her feel sick.

"Stu! Oh god," she flung herself into his arms, clutching on tightly. "I was having a nightmare," she finally said breathlessly. "I was so scared."

"It's alright," he whispered, his chin resting on her shoulder until she pulled away to look at him.

"Someone shot you." Her words provoked no emotion from him, like the possibility of it actually happening was slim to none. If only he knew what Lara knew... She stared at him, continuing her outburst, "They broke in and shot you right in front of me. I saw everything so clearly-"

"Shh," he soothed, pulling her back into his arms. Her breathing returned to normal as he rocked her, his hand stroking through her hair. "It was just a bad dream, darling." She felt as if she had reverted back to a childlike state.

"It felt so real."

"Shh, it wasn't real. Look," he cupped her face in his hands, smoothing the pads of his thumbs over her flushed cheeks. "Still here." Relief took over her body as she placed her hands over his. She couldn't even imagine what she would have done if she had woken up and Stu wasn't anywhere to be found. Thank god he had shaken her awake.

"My heart was up in my throat."

"So was mine when you screamed. It's a wonder you didn't wake up Charlie."

"My baby!" She squealed, immediately clamping her mouth shut with her hand. He grabbed her by the waist when she tried to leave to see to Charlie.

"He's fine," he reassured. Lara let out a sigh and nodded, settling herself back in her husband's arms. He held her in a protective embrace as she slowly drifted off again. The rhythmic beating of his heart eventually lulled her back to sleep. He watched her for a moment, moving a strand of hair from her face and tenderly pressing a kiss to her temple. "Everything's fine."

And for once, he didn't know who he was trying to convince.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you xj0j0x, Blackhat, xFindTheEnigmaWithinx, ThatGirl54 and Colorful Raging Cancer for the lovely reviews :) they mean a lot to us! Mox, Lou and Katie x**


	16. Living Dead

_**Living Dead**_

The gust of wind that followed Stephen into the house was enough to make the door slam into the wall as it flew out of his grip. The skies were dark, huge clouds sat low in the sky as the impending rainfall drew closer. He knew he had just missed a storm, thankful that he had made it inside without getting drenched.

Tommy and Stu hadn't questioned him when he announced that he was leaving early, especially when he had divulged that his plans for the evening focused solely around his wife. Even Stu had remained tight-lipped which surprised him more than anything. Finally getting a grip on the door again, Stephen slammed it shut, instinctively locking it.

Although the lights were on, the house remained silent. Now all he had to do was find Anna and share his plans for the evening. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, for once his evening plans actively involved her. Stalking through the house, he shrugged off his heavy wool coat. Everything seemed normal, or as normal as it could get. Passing through the living room he slung his coat over the arm of the couch. He noted the pair of high heels on the cream rug in front of the sofa. Scanning the room he saw no other trace that his wife had been there.

Eventually he moved upstairs, coming to a stop outside of the bedroom. He pushed his hand against the door, hit by the smell of vanilla and cocoa. He knew that smell and it brought back a flood of memories, especially the amount of times he'd had his hands all over her body. Feeling a stab of desire, Stephen pushed the door open.

Just what he had expected to see. A white fluffy towel wrapped around her, stopping mid-thigh. One leg stretched out in front of the other, her hands rubbing lotion onto her creamy skin. Her lips pursed and he couldn't help but wonder what was on her mind. Her hair and makeup were flawless – he expected nothing less.

Without saying a word he stepped into the room. Her gaze shot up, hands resting on her thighs. Her tongue flicked out, licking quickly across her lips.

"Hi," she spoke barely above a whisper. Perhaps she was trying to gauge his mood. She stood up straight, hand moving to grasp the knot of the towel over her breasts. "How was work?"

That took him off guard, but he tried not to let it show. She never mentioned work anymore, or how his day had been, knowing he would quickly change the conversation. He stepped further into the room and gave her the briefest of nods.

"Fine," he didn't need to say anything else on that topic. "Ah made us reservations." Stephen continued as he popped open the first few buttons of his shirt.

"For what?" Anna frowned at her husband and he smirked.

"Dinner at eight." Moving to step in front of her she had to tilt her head upwards to look at him.

"Oh but-" he pressed his finger to her lips.

"Yeh can thank me later."

Gently Anna took hold of his wrist, tugging his hand away. "I already have plans."

"What plans? Wit' who?" Stephen couldn't stop his harsh tone. She wanted to spend more time with him, now she was off making plans of her own without telling him.

With her hand still gripped around his wrist, she quietly said, "Lara and Alex."

Taking a slow controlled breath, Stephen tried to get his thoughts together. There was only one solution. "Cancel."

Anna's eyes went wide with shock, but he sure as hell didn't know why. "What? Stephen, I can't do that."

He kissed her cheek, and pulled her hand off his wrist then went about unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. "Why no'? They'll understand."

"I'm sorry Ste, but just like you, I don't back out of plans that I've already made." Moving across the room she quickly removed herself from his line of sight, ducking into the walk in wardrobe.

"Yeh see them every day, Anna." Stephen bit back, frustration quickly getting the better of him.

"I see you every day too."

Frozen on the spot, he had no clue what to say. Pulling off his jacket, he threw it onto the bed. He could hear Anna rustling about, no doubt putting together an outfit. Knowing that he wanted to stop Anna from venturing out without him, he rubbed his hands over his face, trying to come up with a suitable plan. Locking her in the house wasn't an option. She was a complex creature; craving his attention one minute, brushing him off the next. Maybe they needed to have a little talk.

"What do you think?" Anna emerged from the wardrobe, a smile on her face and eyes locked onto his. He watched her twirl around on the spot, the black and gold fringed dress stopped a few inches above her knees. "It's Gucci."

He watched her as she ran her hands down the dress, waiting patiently for any sign of approval. Obviously she didn't feel any ounce of guilt that she would be leaving him for her friends, even if it was just for one night. His gaze raked over her from her perfectly polished toes to the blood red lipstick painted on her lips.

Nodding, he could only utter the words before stalking through to the bathroom, "Don' be late back."

* * *

><p>"Oh, come off it, ref!" Stu shouted angrily at the football match on the television, making sure to watch his language with his son sat next to him. "There's no way that was a foul!"<p>

Lara cleared her throat and he turned to be met with her smooth shapely legs, standing mid-way up the stairs. His appreciative gaze travelled upwards, his lips curving into a smirk when he took in her entire appearance. The blush-coloured crepe peplum dress hugged her curves and complimented her skin tone. Charlie's eyes were trained on the television, completely hypnotised by the sport. The referee's whistle and the chants of the raucous crowd were the only sounds in the room. Stu suddenly looked confused as to why she had dressed up. He didn't remember making plans with her for tonight. Come to think of it, he couldn't even remember the last time they had made plans to do something together.

"What's with the dress?"

She walked towards him and did a slow twirl, smoothing her hands down the dress afterwards. "Don't you like it?"

"No, I do. I mean, you look fantastic," he mused, standing up from the couch with the remote control in his hand. "It's just I didn't know we were going out. The game's on and-"

"We're not going out," she quickly corrected him, watching him quirk his eyebrows in suspicion.

"Oh?"

"Alex's company are having a benefit dinner and she had two extra tickets. Obviously she can't take Tommy, so she asked if Anna and I wanted to go." She had to hold back her sigh of relief as the lie escaped her lips. The amount of times she had practised that story so it sounded convincing...

"Right," he answered, his tone offering some annoyance. She thought that he would have been used to all these impromptu plans as of late, having been on the other end for such a long time. Lara sighed. The last thing she wanted was to leave when he was mad at her.

"That's okay, isn't it? I don't want to feel like I'm dumping Charlie on you."

"Of course it's okay, sweetheart," Stu smiled, reassuring her that his upset state would not stay for long. "We'll have a boy's night in. You go and have fun." _Fun_, she refuted in her mind, _this was not going to be fun in any way_. She plastered on a smile as Stu turned back to her, his hands bracing her upper arms.

"I'm already kind of late but I'll be back in time for bed," she planted a kiss on his lips then rubbed her thumb over them to rid them of her lip gloss. He helped her into her coat, and pulled her into his arms with a grin, inhaling her sweet perfume. Lara's heart thumped against her chest, nervous energy shooting through her veins. Feeling him loosen up his grip, she took a step back. "Don't give him any beer," she warned, wagging a finger at him in jest.

"He won't get anywhere near that stuff."

She reached for her clutch and then folded her arms across her chest. "Are you sure about that?"

"Am I sure?" Stu scoffed, turning to see Charlie pick up his bottle of Stella with curiosity and sniff the contents. "Oi, hands off!" He chastised, taking the drink from his grasp. "Drink your juice. Beer is for grownups."

"It smells like potty, daddy."

The endearing comment from their son made them both laugh. "Any other problems, call me alright?"

"It's all under control," he reassured, taking a seat on the couch again to get back into the football match.

Lara watched the two of them interacting for a moment, just taking in the beautiful sight of the two people she loved with all her heart bonding with each other. Charlie's laughter filled the room and she took that as her cue to properly leave. She had a bad feeling that would be the last time she would smile tonight.

* * *

><p>"Just drop me off a few blocks away," Alex said, breaking the tense silence. "If he's there before us, we need to avoid being seen together. He knows who Anna is."<p>

"Alright," came Lara's curt reply, her eyes focused on the road ahead.

Anna turned to the brunette sitting in the back seat, eyes wide with worry. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find the right words to say. All of them were aware of the possible dangers the night could entail, no amount of preparations or words of encouragement would be able to lift their anxiety. A sick feeling churned in her stomach as she stared at Alex, feeling guilty that she had basically pushed her friend into the lion's den with the plan that she came up with.

Noticing the look of fear in the blonde's gaze, Alex piped up. "I'll be fine," she started, trying to keep her tone calm. "We'll just go with the plan. As soon as I go in, I'll make a call to your phone so you guys can hear everything. Then you come in, stay at the bar and just keep an eye out."

"I just wish there was some way we could talk you through it," Lara murmured. "Help you out or something."

"Maybe we can come up with some sort of signal," Anna suggested. "Like, if I tug on my ear, you can ask about Del Rio."

"She's not supposed to know about him, remember?" Lara pointed out. "And it'll be suspicious if she keeps trying to look at us, especially if we're nowhere she can see.

"Oh, right."

"It's too late to come up with anything now anyway. We'll just stick to what we've talked about and hope for the best," Alex said. "I can get out here."

Lara manoeuvred the car to the curb, slowing to a stop a mere block away from the restaurant. She stared into the distance, her gaze focused on the red brick façade of the restaurant. "Be careful," she said softly.

"Call before you step in," Anna reminded her. "We'll be listening so we'll know if you need rescuing."

Alex forced a smile onto her lips and took a deep breath before pushing the car door open, stepping into the cold Chicago night. She slammed the door shut and started walking towards the direction of the restaurant, tugging her coat tighter to her chest as the wind washed over her. With her hurried strides, she soon found herself in front of the restaurant. Taking her phone out from her purse, she quickly made the call to Anna.

"I'm going inside now," she said when the blonde picked up the call. "Come in after a few minutes and please try not to drink so much."

Alex didn't wait for any sort of response, slipping the phone back into her bag before walking into the restaurant. She smiled as the maitre d' greeted her, asking for the name the dinner reservations were under. "It's under Phillip Brooks," she said. "I'm not sure if he's here already."

"Ah yes," he replied. "Mister Brooks arrived just a few minutes earlier. If you could follow Erin," he said, gesturing to a waitress walking up to them. "She'll take you over to your table."

Alex smiled at the slender blonde, following her lead as soon as she was told which table was waiting for her. She breathed a sigh of relief when Erin had led her to the South Dining Room, grateful that Phil had decided against a private dinner. Should anything go sour, Alex knew she at least had the comfort of having other people around that would prevent him from doing anything rash.

"I have to say," he started, getting up from his seat. "I actually thought you were gonna stand me up."

"How awkward would that be come Monday?" She joked, earning a short chuckle from him.

Alex's skin crawled when he had approached, his palm cupping her cheek to press a chaste kiss against the other. "You look gorgeous," he whispered into her ear.

"Thank you," she replied.

"May I?" He asked, gesturing to her coat.

"Please."

Phil helped her shrug off the heavy coat, revealing the simple black dress she wore underneath. From the long sleeves to the high neckline, Alex was pretty covered, yet the way his eyes travelled up and down her form had her feeling as naked as the day she was born. Had it been up to her, she would have chosen sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt, or not meet him at all. But she had to keep up appearances and she wanted to do it for Lara.

Phil turned to their waitress once they had settled into their seats, "No need," he said, refusing the menu he was about to be handed. "We'll avail of the Grand Menu, as well as the wine accompaniment for the lady and just water for me."

"I almost forgot that you're straightedge," she said as Erin left to place their order.

Phil had taken that note to start talking about himself. From his lifestyle choices to his childhood to why all of it just made him better than everyone else. It took a lot of effort for Alex to keep from rolling her eyes at each word that came from his mouth. Her eyes flickered to the purse set on the corner of the table, imagining what sort of discussion was going on between Anna and Lara as they listened in on their conversation.

* * *

><p>"Another martini please," Anna batted her eyelashes at the young bartender who quickly went about getting her another drink.<p>

"That's your last one," Lara muttered under her breath. Anna's phone was pressed firmly against her ear, trying to make out as much of the conversation as possible. The more she listened to Phil's voice, the worse she felt. A horrible feeling settled over her. There were few people she hated. Del Rio was as the top of her list, Phil now second. He would quickly surpass Del Rio if he did go with his stupid plan. Groaning in frustration, she felt Anna's hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay? You seem a little tense." Lara tried not to roll her eyes, "I think a drink will settle your nerves."

Shaking her head, Lara wrapped her hand around the cold glass of ice water in front of her. She was even having a hard time drinking that. She didn't want anything, or anyone for that matter, distracting them from the purpose of the evening.

Just as she was getting back into the conversation between Phil and Alex, her own phone started to buzz in her clutch. Anna glanced over, watching her fish around in order to find it.

"It's Stu," Lara stated, unsure if she needed the distraction of her husband. Her mind was already swimming with so many thoughts, secrets and dealings.

Anna rolled her eyes.

"Don't answer it."

"Take your phone," she shoved Anna's phone into her hand. Her instinct had won; what if something was the matter with Charlie? She did tell Stu to call if he was having any problems with him. She disregarded her usual greeting, already on edge. "What is it?"

"_Whoa, are you alright?"_

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just-" she paused, not wanting him to worry about her. It was better to just change the subject altogether. "What's up?"

"_It's Charlie,"_ as soon as the words left his lips Lara's stomach dropped. She made a sound which prompted her husband to continue. _"He won't settle down. I don't know what's wrong with him."_

"Have you tried reading him his favourite book? Tucking him in? Everything we usually do with the routine?"

"_Of course I have."_

"What about warm milk, have you tried that?"

She heard him sigh in defeat. His usual attitude altered completely when it came to Charlie. He seemed completely out of his depth. _"I think he just wants his mum."_

"I'll be home soon, this benefit is getting," she looked to Anna, who had her phone pressed to her ear and was listening intently to Phil and Alex's conversation. A yawn escaped the blonde's lips. "Boring as hell."

"_He's complaining that you didn't say goodnight."_

"Pass the phone over to him," she suggested, hearing interference from the poor signal in the restaurant. Stu held the phone to Charlie's ear.

"_Mommy?"_

"Hey baby, can't you sleep?" She heard him grumble in response. He had been crying. "Have daddy get you some milk, and I'll be back really soon, okay?"

"_Okay," _the toddler sniffed. God, why did she feel so terrible in that moment? She wanted to be at home with her family, and make sure everything was alright. Lara shook her head, watching Anna down the rest of her drink.

"I love you, sweetie. Give the phone back to daddy now."

"_Hey,"_ Stu answered, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. He just wanted to be the best father possible given the circumstances, and Charlie's random tantrums and refusals to sleep were not helping matters.

"Just relax; you're doing a great job. I've never known you to freak out when it came to Charlie," she laughed, trying to lighten the tension. The reason Stu never freaked out before was that he was more of the fun parent. He spoilt Charlie with love and material things because he felt guilty about not being around as often. It was difficult for him to be solely responsible. He figured his wife was aware of that. "I'll see you a bit later. I love you." He reciprocated and hung up. Lara placed her phone back in her clutch and turned her attention to her friend. "Anything?"

"Well he's finally stopped droning on about his life."

"We need more than that," she leaned her elbows on the bar surface, pursing her lips. "We need to know if he's as dangerous as Del Rio."

* * *

><p>"So," Alex piped up. "I forgot to ask you how that meeting went."<p>

"What meeting?" Phil asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"With that new partner, or would-be partner," she added.

"Oh that," he said with a heavy sigh. "He's decided to, let's just say, add a new clause to the partnership that I need to fulfil before anything becomes official."

"I hope it's not too much of a stretch," she commented, trying to fish out more details. "If it's gonna give you more grief than it should, I'm sure there are other investors that you could forge partnerships with." If he could talk endlessly about trivial things barely adding a filter to his thoughts, surely he could give her something on matters she was more interested in.

_I'm not suffering through an eight-course meal to feed your ego, _she thought. _Give me something I can work with._

"It is a stretch but it's one I'm willing to make. Someone has to pay, but trust me Alexandra, it's not gonna be me."

Alex had to force down the last bite of her dessert as the meaning of his words sank in. _He plans to go ahead with it. _"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing to worry your pretty little head about," Phil said, his trademark smirk plastered on his lips. "Anyway, are you done?"

_Well that wasn't polite, _she thought.

"Yeah," she replied. "Is there some place you need to be after this?"

"Well," he started. "I was thinking that maybe we can take a drive."

What Phil meant about taking a drive found him and Alex taking a leisurely stroll along the lakefront of 31st Street Harbour. It would have made for that picturesque romantic date save for his smug attitude about buying a new yacht and having it docked at one of the most exclusive and most expensive marinas Chicago had ever seen. The not-so-subtle hints about going onboard said yacht for a private tour were something she could have done without too.

"You know what?" Alex said, interrupting his monologue. "It's getting late and it looks like it's going to start raining, and I really want to get home before it gets bad."

"What's the rush, Alexandra?" He asked. "If you really want to avoid the storm, we can just go on the boat and wait 'til it passes."

Maybe it was that stupid smirk on his face or the way his voice sounded in her head; maybe it was the idea of what a sleaze he was or the knowledge of what kind of man he truly was; or maybe it was all of it, but she knew she had to find a way out. They had walked on a dimly lit area of the marina, far from any buildings, far from any people, most importantly, far from Anna and Lara.

"I don't think so," she said, trying to walk past him. "I'm just gonna call a cab."

"Now hang on sweetheart," he said in a biting tone, snatching her wrist to pull her back. "You can't tell me that I spent the entire night on you for nothing now, can you?"

Alex winced in pain as his grip tightened. "Phil, you're hurting me. Please let go."

"Get off her!" Though the dark shadows Alex could see a figure approach them, the slim frame teetering on heels let her know it was Anna.

"Ah, you're Farrelly's wife." Phil wagged a finger at the blonde and chuckled to himself.

"Yes. Mrs Farrelly, you jackass," Anna scowled, her deep red lips pursed together. She wanted to punch him in the face or kick him in the balls. Perhaps both.

"And who's this one?" Unfazed by Anna's usually deadly stare, Phil pointed towards Lara who was frozen on the spot. Her small hands were clenched into fists at her sides, dark eyes narrowed at she stared down the man who she knew wanted to kill her husband.

Anna glanced at Alex and then to Lara. Hell if she knew what to do next. It was a standoff. A crash of water broke through the uncomfortable tension that had settled over them. The air was thick and warm, another storm looming in the clouds overhead.

"That doesn't matter," Alex muttered and looked down at Phil's hand still gripped onto her.

Anna saw her wince when Phil tightened his grip. She wanted to do something to the bastard, and by the look on Lara's face, so did she.

"So what now?" Phil smirked, rubbing his hand across his chin. "Because this little get together is starting to piss me off."

The shock written across Alex's face didn't go unseen. Was this the first time she had seen this side of him? She sure hadn't mentioned it before.

"Don't kill my husband."

Lara's voice was strained, almost drowned out by a crack of thunder booming over them.

"Your husband?" He snarled then directed his next question at Alex. "What the hell is she on?"

"Let. Her. Go." Anna took a few steps forward, Lara right behind her. Another boom of thunder and a flash of lightning.

Phil looked down at Alex then back at Anna. "I think you've aligned yourself with the wrong people, Alexandra. These women are insane."

"I hope you rot in hell," Lara snarled, taking everyone by surprise. "You, Del Rio and the rest of the little rats that follow him around."

The smirk slipped from Phil's face, especially as Del Rio was brought up. He unconsciously let go of Alex to bring his hand up and point towards Lara, ready to throw a number of insults her way.

Alex scurried across to her friends who still kept a safe distance from Phil. None of them knew what to do next. "I guess that ends our night. I have business to see to and deals to make." He smirked towards Lara, finally letting on that he knew exactly who she was. "Send my regards to Mr Bennett."

"You bastard!"

Anna gasped as Lara shouted and stole her handbag from behind her. She knew exactly what she was about to do.

"For god's sake, Lara. Calm down."

"Don't tell me what to do," Lara snapped, her hands visibly shaking as she struggled to pull at the zip closing the bag. "If this was Stephen, you'd be doing the same thing."

"You're not thinking straight." Anna tried to take the bag back, receiving a firm push backwards. She stumbled in her heels, only just regaining her balance at the edge of the lake. The water looked icy cold, the wind making it lap up the sides of the bank.

Anna looked up just in time to see Lara pulling the gun out of her handbag. Looking towards Alex, she needed some help. The colour had drained from her face and she couldn't take her eyes off Lara.

"Lara, sweetie, please listen to me." Anna took a step forward towards her friend.

"No! He's going to kill Stu! Don't you get it?" Lara gestured the gun towards Phil who for the first time looked unsettled. But why wouldn't he? Surrounded by three crazy women - one waving a loaded gun around - would make any man a little restless.

"You don't know how to handle that thing, give it to me."

Anna finally reached her side and rubbed her hand down Lara's shaking arm. Only now she was stood next to her could she see the first glimmer of tears in her eyes.

Lara shook her head and adjusted her stance, just as the heavens opened. Rain poured over them, instantly soaking through their clothes. The heavy downpour didn't deter Lara though; she didn't flinch, even when a thunderous crack echoed over them. Anna placed her hand over Lara's, tugging the gun from her hand.

"Lara, you don't want to do this."

The first sob that escaped the petite brunette tore at Anna's heart. Her tears mixed with the droplets of rain catching on her long eyelashes and cheeks now red from being outside without a coat. Alex appeared next to Lara, arms wrapping around her and embracing her like any friend would.

The gun felt heavy in Anna's hand, even with all her experience handling guns she had never been placed in such a scenario. Taken outside of the range things were different. Intense and risky. She didn't like it one bit. Phil hadn't moved, the scene playing out in front of him was far more entertaining than anything else he could be doing.

Anna stared at him, wondering just what the hell he would do next. He knew he was destroying Lara's life, yet that didn't wipe the smirk off his face. This guy had no remorse. He was a monster. Shaking her head, ready to turn and make a quick exit she saw his hand reach into the inside of his jacket. A flash of sliver caught her eye. He had come armed. Her heart leapt to her throat as Phil's hand stopped on the gun.

Everything was a blur. The click of the safety catch on her gun resonated louder than anything else around her. Blackness surrounded her, the sporadic drops of rain making blinking her only movements.

Phil's heart was her aim as she pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you Blackhat, xj0j0x, January Blu, charmedbyortonbarrett, crazylilbitch and xFindTheEnigmaWithinx for the lovely reviews. :) Lou, Mox and Katie x**


	17. Raging Storm

**_Raging Storm_**

The mood had shifted quickly. Once threatened and panicking, the three women were now surrounded by an eerie silence. The rain was still pouring down, and the low rumbles of the storm were moving away but could still be heard.

"Anna..." Lara's voice sounded so foreign and distant. It was as if she was a million miles away.

The blonde shook her head, not letting her grip on the gun loosen. She hadn't taken her eyes off Phil; his lifeless body slumped on the wet, muddy grass.

"He..." Anna squeezed her eyes shut but the image of his face flashed in her mind. Startled, she gasped and opened her eyes again. "He...He was going to shoot."

"Is he dead?" Alex whispered, her voice almost inaudible over the lashing rain and crashing water on the lake's edge.

Anna spun around, face etched with disbelief as she snapped, "No, he's just taking a fucking nap."

"Oh my god," Alex muttered under her breath, her tone starting to fill with panic.

"Both of you calm down," Lara spoke up again, trying to help the situation but deep down she knew there was nothing she could do or say that would make the circumstances any better.

"We need to get rid of him," Anna's voice was cold as she spoke - maybe she and Stephen weren't so different after all.

She started pushing at Phil's body, but not before taking his wallet and phone and chucking them onto the wet grass.

"What the hell are you doing?" Alex hissed, trying to pull her friend off the man she had just shot.

"Getting rid of the body, what does it look like?" She answered coldly from the ground, on her hands and knees, for once in her life not bothered that she was getting covered in mud.

"Oh god, this couldn't get worse." Lara carefully tiptoed towards Anna, wanting to get her up and away from Phil so they could get out of there.

"Help me." Anna reached for Lara once she was close enough and pulled her down.

A loud screech left Lara's lips as she slipped and landed on the muddy grass, the nightmare getting worse as her hands landed in a pool of watery blood. Her eyes widened and she felt sick to her stomach. Anna took no notice of her friend, focusing solely on getting rid of Phil. In that very moment, making him disappear was the only thing she wanted to do.

"Help me, Lara!"

With a shake of her head, Lara eventually got to her feet. She didn't want to be anywhere near Phil's lifeless body or stone-faced Anna.

The blonde grunted as she finally got Phil over the edge of the lake, his heavy body making a splash as it hit the cold water. Trying to get to her feet and away from the water as quickly as possible, she stumbled on the water's edge. Lara was already a few feet away, trying desperately to get the blood off her hands.

"Oh my-" Anna reached out for Lara as her heel jammed in the soggy ground. "Lara!"

The frantic woman looked up just in time to see Anna's flailing arms and hear her scream cutting through the deadly silence. She landed in the edge of the lake, completely disappearing as the water took her under.

Water crashed around her, continually pulling her downwards and away from the surface. Hearing the yells from Lara and Alex made her use all the strength she had to swim; reaching out her hands to find the muddy bank. Never had her heart beat so fast, threatening to burst through her chest. Wind spiralled around her as she struggled to take a breath. Never had she been so relieved to see Alex staring back at her, taking her by the upper arms to hoist her back onto the bank.

"Are you okay?" Alex frantically helped the blonde to her feet, hurriedly getting her away from the water.

"My dress," Anna choked out, receiving a glare from Lara.

"Anna you just killed a man and you're worried about your fucking dress!" Lara hissed, arms wrapped around herself as a flash of lightning filled the sky.

"I was defending myself," she replied as her friends exchanged a look. "In fact I was defending all of us!" Anna's statement was bold enough to elicit silence from both women staring back at her.

No sound passed among the three women other than their heavy breathing, minds heavy with the realisation of what they had done. Phil's body was gone, the rain that continued to pour washing away every indication that he had even set foot in the area, and the gun conveniently falling into the lake due to Anna's little mishap, there was only one other thing that they had to erase from sight.

"What are we gonna do about his car?"

Alex raised her eyes to meet Lara's gaze before heaving a sigh. "I'll take care of it."

"What do you have in mind?" Anna asked, trying to wipe the grime from her clothes. If not for the tense situation, the three friends would have broken out in laughter at the useless attempt, but none of them could even entertain the thought. "It's a car. You can't just hide it in your closet."

"No, she'll park it in her garage and tell Tommy it's an early Christmas present," Lara snarked.

The blonde sneered before reiterating Alex's words, and again asking about the car.

"I'm telling you, the guy loves - loved to overcompensate. It's a brand new car," she muttered. At seeing the confused glance her two friends shared, Alex continued. "New car means it still doesn't have registration. No one's going to look for a car when there's no record of it going missing, especially since the owner won't be filing any reports of theft or anything. As for where to hide it, all the time I spent working on those reports pay off with more than just a nice pay check. I've got info on all the warehouses and properties that the company has. There are a few warehouses that are low security. It's basically for trash. No one would think to look there."

"You drive the punk's car and we'll follow you," Anna instructed. "Then we'll go home."

"It's a bit of a drive."

"Good," Lara chimed in. "The longer, the better. It gives us more time to come up with a plausible story to tell our husbands exactly why we've come home looking like drowned rats."

* * *

><p>Anna sat down on the porch step, her body shivering as the cold night air swept around her. She was still soaking wet from top to bottom, and having stood in the rain for a good twenty minutes to try and get the faint smell of lake water off her, she knew she would end up with a cold or hypothermia.<p>

Numb. That was all she felt, inside and out. She couldn't drag herself inside. She wanted to run away and forget everything. Everything but Stephen, that was. She couldn't even contemplate telling him. Guilt racked her body; just thinking about uttering what she had done left her feeling sick again.

Knowing she would be sick if she didn't get inside soon, Anna eventually plucked up the courage to retreat inside. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding as she quietly stepped through the door.

Anna moved through the house, edging her way slowly towards the living room where she could hear the television. The lights in the room were off, but the flashes of light from the screen changing and bouncing off the walls filled the room with more than enough light for her to make out her husband.

He had yet to notice her standing in the door frame watching him. His eyes were glued onto the television watching rugby, his favourite sport. She eyed the cans of Guinness on the coffee table and the half-eaten takeout and wished she had just stayed in with him.

"You were right," Anna murmured, "I should have cancelled plans with Lara and Alex."

Stephen shot up out of his chair, shocked and startled that he hadn't heard her creep inside. It took him a second to take in her appearance - from her soaking wet hair and muddy legs, she looked the complete opposite of her usual self.

"What the hell happened to yeh?"

"It's raining," Anna whispered as Stephen hurtled towards her. His hands framed her face, inspecting her for any damage. "Lara's car broke down."

"And yeh tried to fix it yehself?"

Nodding slowly she watched frustration etch onto his face. "I tried to push the car and I slipped."

"Yeh didn't think to call?"

"I thought you might be mad." Talking was becoming more and more difficult. Her shivering body made her clench her teeth together to try and get herself under control.

"Mad?"

"About dinner."

"Yeh don' look well." Stephen ignored her, showing his concern. Gently he toyed with her wet hair, pushing it behind her ear as she continued to stare into the distance behind him.

"I don't feel well." Anna couldn't even briefly smile to try and get Stephen to stop worrying.

"Yeh look like yeh've seen a ghost." Stephen cracked a smile, knowing he couldn't really joke about anyone else's pale complexion. But as Anna looked back at him with a expression of disbelief, his concern grew even more. "Anna Ah'm worried abou' yeh."

"I'll be fine." Her words left her mouth on an exasperated breath. She was far from fine and she didn't know why she even bothered hiding it from Stephen.

Shaking his head, Stephen's eyes grew heavy with determination. He knew something was off, and with his persistence he would make sure he'd find out. "Did something happen at dinner? Anna, if anyone's done or said anythin' to hurt yeh, tell me now."

Anna wanted to say yes, maybe get him to back off a little and give her some space, but the thought of being alone made her anxious and uncomfortable. Her continued silence made Stephen sigh and place his hands on her slender shoulders. As if he were trying to pull her out of a trance he gently stroked down her arms to catch her hands in his own then said, "What do Ah have to do to get yeh to talk to me?"

"Stephen, everything is fine." He looked at her with such concern, her heart ached a little bit more and her body trembled.

Stupidly she'd forgotten that her husband was on her side. No matter what, he would protect her; he always had done. Never had she been disappointed by his actions or intentions. But even with those memories she felt this was too much weight to place on his shoulders.

"Ah still don' believe yeh, but Ah have no choice but to take yer word," Anna almost breathed a sigh of relief. "Fer now anyway."

There was no doubt in her mind that he would bring up the subject again - probably when she was least expecting it. Right now she just needed him for support, even if he didn't know it. Literally too; her whole body felt weak, knees threatening to give weight under the enormous amount of pressure and guilt weighing down on her.

Tentatively she slipped her arms around Stephen's waist, thankful that the heat seeping from his body offered her a little bit of comfort. But a little bit wasn't enough to make anything better.

As his arms came to settle around her slim, cold, shivering body, she finally gave in. Like a river bursting its banks, tears uncontrollably started to flow. Burying her head into Stephen's chest as she clung onto him was the only thing she could manage to do.

* * *

><p>Hot air pushed through her lips and appeared as a puff of cloud in the dark sky. Lara put the key in the lock, the bitter cold making it stiff and difficult to turn. As she stepped through the door and closed it behind her, realisation truly set in. Her friend had killed the man who was planning to kill her husband. She slipped off her wet shoes and caught sight of her hands. Whether visible or not, all she could see was Phil's blood. Stumbling through the dining room, Lara burst into the kitchen and immediately ran the hot water tap. She sniffed, the chill of her wet clothes seeping into her rain-battered skin. Her hands were scrubbed raw before she even noticed the mess that Stu had left behind in the kitchen. He and Charlie must have gorged on pizza, Cheetos and juice throughout the evening while she was out on a mission of sorts. Why couldn't she have just stayed home? She sighed. This was all her fault; if she hadn't gone snooping for information in the first place then she wouldn't have witnessed a killing tonight. She picked up a pizza box, realising that the contents was only half-empty and decided to place it in the refrigerator instead of the trash.<p>

She was too busy cleaning up to notice Stu come downstairs and switch the living room light on, casting dark shadows through the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes from sleep and stretched his long arms, clicking his shoulders.

"You're late," he murmured quietly, not wanting to scare her at this time of night. When she carried on ignoring him he figured she hadn't heard him. "Hello?" He said a little louder, knowing that his voice was loud enough this time. Her back was still to him as she stood at the sink. He stepped into the kitchen, "Lara, you're late."

She grit her teeth and whipped around to face him, "And you're in no place to judge."

The amount of times that he had been late home and she hadn't questioned it, well, she couldn't remember the last time he had told her why he didn't arrive back on time. A yawn escaped his lips. His eyes widened as he flicked on the kitchen lights and took in her appearance. She was soaked to the bone. Her hair was dripping droplets of water, her makeup ruined and rolling down her face.

"What are you doing?"

His question was rather misplaced. He could quite clearly see what she was doing. Lara turned her attention back to the sink, cleaning out Charlie's sippy cup and placing it on the draining board. She walked past Stu and picked up the empty beer bottles on the island counter. "You left this place in a mess so I'm cleaning."

"I was going to do it in the morning, love," he reasoned, but she knew full-well that he would be out the front door as soon as he woke up. "Why are you so late?"

"We went out for a couple of drinks after the benefit."

"Oh yeah? You look as if you've been chucked in a waterfall."

The bottles clattered as she threw them in the recycling bin. "In case you haven't noticed it's storming outside."

"Alright," he breathed out. Her snappy attitude convinced him that her night hadn't turned out quite as expected. "Did you not have a good night?"

"No actually, I didn't."

He stepped further into the kitchen, running his fingers across the counter surface as he moved closer to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No Stu," Lara snapped, "I just want to clean." Her reaction shocked him. It wasn't like her to lose her rag over seemingly nothing.

"There's no need for you to be short with me. I'm just concerned that you-" He paused, noticing her erratic behaviour as she poured more soap from the dispenser and onto her raw skin. "How many times are you going to wash your hands?"

_Until they're clean, _she thought, scrupulously scrubbing away at her nails with a small brush to try and rid them of all the dirt, blood and god knows what else.

"Lara, sweetheart," he was starting to get worried when she completely ignored him, entranced in scrubbing her skin. "Stop!" He pulled her hands away from the water and grabbed a soft towel. "You need to calm down."

"I'm fine, Stu. Go back to bed."

"You're not fine. Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing is wrong."

Stu narrowed his eyes. "Something happened tonight, didn't it?"

"Stu-"

"Did you have a falling out with the girls?" She didn't answer. He took that as a sign and didn't bother to wait for her to confirm or deny it. "You have, haven't you?"

Lara backed away from the sink and immediately went to dry her hands on the towel. She could still see the blood dripping from her hands and it was making her feel nauseous. Her eyes closed briefly, trying to push what had happened to the back of her mind and block out Stu's constant interrogation. She threw the towel into the sink in frustration and grit her teeth, quickly losing her temper.

"Will you stop pressing me for answers? I'm fine."

"I'm just struggling to understand you at the moment." Stu pressed his fingers to his temples, feeling a headache fast approaching. His voice had raised enough to constitute a row, but not loud enough to wake up Charlie as he innocently slept upstairs. Lara swallowed hard. It was difficult to hear him say such things. He could sense the hurt, and lowered his voice to speak in a calmer manner. "You used to tell me everything, Lara. Over the past few months it's like you've turned into a completely different person."

She knew what that meant. A completely different person, as in different to the Lara he rescued and made a life with. That was like a knife to her heart. If anything at all, it fuelled her anger.

"What are you saying? What's so different about me?"

"I don't like how suspicious you're acting."

"You're being totally paranoid."

"Paranoid?!" He scoffed, quickly being hushed by his wife. Their son did not deserve to listen to their bickering.

"Yeah, you heard me." Lara folded her arms across her chest, hiding her sore hands. "Maybe now you can understand what it's like to be kept in the dark."

"Oh for fuck's sake," Stu ran a hand over his face. He was tired, agitated and being pushed closer to the edge. "If this is about my job _again_, you know I don't talk about it because I don't want you involved. I don't tell you these things because I'm protecting you. I'm protecting our son!"

"You're sounding like a broken record."

"Alright, I see how it is," he slumped in defeat, turning to walk out of the kitchen. He couldn't stand anymore petty arguing. It was beginning to drive him up the wall. Lara was quick to follow him out into the hallway, annoyed that he had begun this heated conversation yet wasn't prepared to finish it.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed," he murmured without looking back at her. "Before I say or do something I'll regret."

She watched him as he ascended the stairs and closed their bedroom door behind him. How had it come to this? He was the one person who would understand what had happened yet she couldn't bring herself to tell him. She couldn't keep a secret as big as this locked inside her forever. There was a reason why Stu left his work at the door, and she truly had no idea how he could be strong enough to do that. She perched on the bottom step with her head in her hands. Her breath was leaving her in strangled sobs as the tears began to fall. Everything was falling apart, and now she knew that she wouldn't be able to stop the repercussions of her and her friends' actions.

* * *

><p>Tommy sat on an armchair in the far corner of the bedroom, elbows resting upon his knees as his gaze focused on the prone form lying in the middle of the king-sized bed. He had always loved watching her sleep, but there was something about how she looked that particular morning that had him wondering what had gone on at the work function she attended the previous night. He wasn't even sure what time she had gotten home, vaguely remembering that he hadn't gone to bed until two o'clock in the morning. Waking up with her body tucked against his side was a wonderful feeling but seeing a clear look of distress on her face even in sleep had him worried.<p>

The sound of a whimper broke through his thoughts, brows furrowing together as he watched her toss and turn.

"No."

That one word had him jumping to his feet, moving towards their bed with purposeful strides. Sitting on the mattress, he grew more worried to see the perplexity etched on her features. He felt torn on whether to wait and see if she was going to cry anything else out or wake her up and ask what it was that had her haunted.

The decision was made for him when her eyes snapped open, a gasp escaping her lips at seeing him hovering over her. "Jesus Christ," she breathed out, a hand clutched over heart in a poor attempt to keep her heartbeat under control. "You scared me."

"It looked like you were scared long before you woke up," he mused, taking her free hand in his. "Bad dream?"

Alex looked up at her husband with wide eyes, frantically racking her brain for what to say. _Oh it's nothing, babe. I was just reliving the moment when Anna shot my boss and we had to roll his body down a pier and into the lake_, was a response that she was certain wasn't going to be received well. "I guess," she replied meekly.

"You guess?" He asked, eyebrows shooting up.

"I don't remember what it was, just bits and pieces," she insisted. "All I can remember is darkness and rain."

She bowed her head to avert his questioning gaze, hoping that he would decide to not pry any further. Her breath hitched when he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her head back up so he could look into her eyes.

"I won't let anything hurt you," he said softly, hazel eyes filled with promise. "How about you try to relax and I'll go fix us some breakfast?"

He had barely gotten off the bed when he was stopped by one dainty hand latching around his wrist. He sent her a look, silently asking what was wrong as she chewed on her bottom lip, contemplating on what to say.

"Can you stay for a while?"

Tommy didn't hesitate to climb back into bed with her, slipping underneath the covers and gathering her slender form into his embrace. He swept her hair away from her face and pressed a gentle kiss against her temple, whispering "I love you" as she clung onto him. They lay quietly, him lazily tracing random patterns across her back while she tried to push the memories of the previous night as far back in her mind as possible. It was that silence, the steady beating of his heart against her head, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest that lulled her back to sleep.

The next time she woke up was far more pleasant, the scent of coffee and bacon invading her senses. She popped one eye open and spotted her husband setting down a tray of food on the bedside table.

"Good morning," he greeted cheerfully. "Again."

"Hi," she replied, sitting up to stretch her arms out.

He chuckled when she tilted her head up to him, lips puckered and asking for a kiss. "Feel better?" He asked after a quick peck, smiling when she nodded an affirmative. "Good. Now let's eat."

* * *

><p>Tommy's eyes were trained on her every move, his worry from that morning growing by leaps and bounds as the day progressed. With him being home the whole day, he had somewhat expected for her to be happy and force him to do things with her but she had practically ignored his presence. She had been exceptionally quiet and very much out of sorts the whole day, barely even noticing anything else that went on around her. But what truly had him worried was how she jumped at the slightest sounds and even just at his form casting a shadow over her.<p>

He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he knew that wasn't how they worked. If there was anything the other needed to know, no matter how big or small of an issue, they went to each other on their own time. _Whenever you're ready, Alex,_ he thought. For the moment, he had to deal with that nagging feeling that something was wrong with his wife and being frustrated that he was rendered helpless in getting her through it.

If stares could sear flesh, she would have been burnt to a crisp long ago. She could feel his heated gaze on her the entire day, though she tried to avoid meeting his eyes as best she could, knowing that one look could make her buckle under the pressure and blurt out her darkest secret. It was hard enough to go through the motions of the day with what she, Lara and Anna had done the night prior plaguing her thoughts, even more so when she would get flashes of Phil's hollow eyes staring up at her as they tried to figure out what to do every time her own eyes slipped shut for the shortest of moments. But the worry and curiosity swimming in Tommy's hazel orbs were sure to push her over the edge.

He bit on the inside of his cheek when she flinched at his touch, her mind so preoccupied that she never even heard him move towards her or call her name. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest, propping his chin on her shoulder. "I have an idea," he said thoughtfully.

"What's that?" She asked, turning her head as best she could so she could look at him.

"Remember that idea of a vacation we were throwing around? What do you say about taking it soon?"

"I thought you were gonna be busy with work," she said. The thought was quite appealing to her – the idea of spending time alone with him in some faraway place. For one, she didn't have to hide the fact that she was Alex Mercer. For another, she could leave behind all her stresses. But she knew that it was up to him to actually follow through on it.

"I actually spoke casually with Stephen and Stu about it," he replied. "They said they'll cover for me as long as I don't take more than a couple of weeks. We just have to settle on where, tell them when and we're good to go. So what do you say?"

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><p><strong>AN – Thank you ThatGirl54, Blackhat, xj0j0x, charmedbyortonbarrett, xFindTheEnigmaWithinx and Colourful Raging Cancer for the lovely reviews. Sorry for the long delay, we've all been busy bees at uni and work :} Mox, Katie and Lou x**


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